Stephen Cohen

There are some in Congress who want to repeal the last 50 years’ worth of advances in reproductive rights for women, whether it’s through legislation or by cutting funding for vital women’s health services such as Planned Parenthood. I will continue to stand with women and make sure that their right to reproductive choice is protected.

I offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to increase funding by $4 million for programs to reduce the backlog of rape kits at law enforcement agencies. The House of Representatives passed the amendment, and it later passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Obama on 12/18/15.

Additionally, I have cosponsored many pieces of legislation regarding victims of sexual assault and domestic violence including the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, the Domestic Violence Safety Plan Grant Program Act of 2015, and the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act. These bills would make it a right for sexual assault survivors to have a rape kit preserved for as long as an assailant could be prosecuted under the law, establish a grant program to promote and teach relatives, friends, and co-workers how to combat domestic violence, and create an incentive for states to prohibit rapists from seeking custody of children conceived through rape.

Equality in the workplace is very important to me. I cosponsored of the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work and protecting employees from retaliation for sharing salary information with their coworkers. I also cosponsored the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requiring employers to make reasonable, low-cost, non-disruptive accommodations to employees who have limitations stemming from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Access to safe and affordable healthcare is a crucial issue for women. I am a cosponsor of the Affordability is Access Act. This bill clarifies that if the Food and Drug Administration approves an over-the-counter oral contraception, that insurance companies would still be required to cover it without a prescription.

In addition, I am a cosponsor of the Fund Essential Menstruation (FEM) Products Act. This bill allows feminine hygiene products to be purchased with funds from a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account.

In June 2014, I wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell to encourage the Department to ensure that women have access to breast feeding services. Specifically, he called on the Department to:

Take whatever further action may be necessary to ensure that women receive the breastfeeding benefits guaranteed by law

Ensure that women have access to breastfeeding equipment and lactation counseling.

Ensure that Qualified Health Plans in states that use federal certification are fully compliant with the lactation services and supplies requirement;

Encourage states to enforce the ACA’s lactation services and supplies requirement;

Educate insurers about their obligation to make breastfeeding supports available without cost-sharing, including through out-of-network providers when the plan has not established a network of lactation providers;

Engage with key stakeholders to reexamine coverage standards, such as the public facing materials that allow plans to provide coverage for a manual breast pump, and develop new guidance that ensures the benefit actually meets women’s needs; and

Increase consumer education and awareness about the benefits of the ACA, including breastfeeding coverage, so more women can access these important benefits and can appeal insurance company decisions if their plan does not comply with the law.

I am a cosponsor of the Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015 to ensure that our female veterans are taken care of both at home and oversea. This bipartisan bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish standards that require the characteristics necessary to meet the gender-specific health care needs of veterans, including privacy, safety, and dignity, to integrate such standards into its prioritization and methodology.

How we treat animals is a direct reflection of our character, both as individuals and a nation. Throughout my legislative career, both as a state Senator and as a Member of Congress, I have sponsored and supported legislation to ensure the humane treatment of animals, as well as to protect our nation's wildlife. I am proud to be a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and to have had The Humane Society of the United States and Defenders of Wildlife recognize my voting record with a 100% rating.

Ending Horse Soring

Horse "soring" is a cruel practice that some trainers use to ensure that their horses walk with a desired high-stepping gait, such as the Tennessee Walking Horse. I sponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to end this cruel practice.

Protecting Wildlife

I cosponsored the Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act to ban the use of possession of cruel body gripping traps in the Natural Wildlife Refuge System.

Animal Cruelty

As a State Senator in Tennessee, I sponsored legislation to make aggravated animal cruelty a felony, as well as legislation that allow owners to receive damages in cases of intentional or negligent acts resulting in the death of a pet.

I have cosponsored legislation such as the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which would extend federal jurisdiction to cases involving intentional crushing of animals. Additionally, I cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety Act to prohibit threats of acts of violence against a person's pet under the offenses of stalking and interstate violation of a protection order.

Animal Use in Research

We cannot as a government allow abuse towards animals in research to continue. Our humanity is diminished when we not only allow but actively sanction and financially support such abuse.

To end these abuses, I cosponsored the Animal Welfare in Agricultural Research Endeavors Act, which would close the loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that exempts U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) from adhering to federal animal welfare standards. I also cosponsored the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act, which would require the Department of Defense to conduct research on human-based simulation training methods and replace live tissue training by 2020. Live tissue training is inflicting wounds seen in combat situations on animals for the purposes of surgical training by medical personnel.

Small businesses are the heart of the American economy. Our country's small businesses employ half of the nation's private sector workforce and create a large portion of America's new jobs. It is critical that small businesses play a significant role in our efforts to restore America's economic strength and the growth of Memphis.

Growing small businesses – specifically businesses owned by minorities and women entrepreneurs - has been a recent topic in Memphis. Opening new doors for small businesses here in the United States and internationally is essential. For Memphis businesses to grow, we must ensure they are represented in the federal government's procurement process. One of the largest customers of goods and services is the federal government, and last year small businesses in the U.S. received nearly 1.8 million contracts totaling almost $90 million.

In an effort to ensure that small businesses in Memphis have the information that they need, I have for several years hosted a Federal Procurement Fair to help small business owners who want to do business with the U.S. government. The Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Minority Business Development Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration and other federal agencies attend to help explain the federal contracting process and the basic requirements of engaging in business with the federal government.

Expanding the American workforce and supporting small businesses is an economic imperative. As we continue with that work, it is important for the public and private sectors to work together. I am committed to playing my part to support and empower hardworking American families, protect jobs and support small business growth in the Memphis area.

I have the great honor of serving on the House Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over a wide range of issues including criminal justice system, civil rights, civil liberties, and voting rights. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I take my oversight duties very seriously.

I currently serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which has jurisdiction over all constitutional amendments and federal civil right laws among other issues. Making sure that my constituents' rights are not infringed upon is of the utmost importance to me. Toward that end, I am devoted to protecting the voting rights of all Americans, working to reform the criminal justice system, and ensuring that education is accessible to all people.

Incidents of unarmed African Americans dying at the hands of police in cities such as Memphis, Baltimore, Ferguson, New York City and others have led to many protests across America. While most police officers spend their careers admirably protecting the communities they serve, it is unfortunate that there have been a string of incidents where some officers discharged their weapons against unarmed African Americans. Disparities in the criminal justice system and the death of unarmed African Americans have fueled calls for reform. As someone who has always supported civil rights and liberties for all people, I am particularly concerned about the systemic causes of the protests and unrest in these communities.

I am also deeply disturbed by recent challenges to voting rights and attempts to suppress votes in minority communities. The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and I am working to protect this right and make it easier for Americans to exercise it.

Protecting Civil Rights

Voting Rights

The Congressman has cosponsored numerous pieces of legislation to safeguard access to online voter registration and same day registration, to push for poll workers that are informed and reliable, to create a national voter hotline, and to ensure that all provisional ballots are counted votes. He introduced the Streamlining and Improving Methods at Polling Locations and Early(SIMPLE) Voting Act, to ensure that every state allows citizens to vote for at least 15 days prior to federal elections and require that states provide adequate poll workers and other resources to prevent wait times of longer than one hour.

In response to the Supreme Court's decision that down portions of the landmark Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Voting Rights Advancement Act to establish a new, nationwide coverage formula for preclearance and make improvements to the law. In addition, he has cosponsored legislation to require states to automatically register anyone who provides identifying information to the state's department of motor vehicles, as well as, legislation that allows voters to provide a sworn, written statement attesting to their identification as a means by which to meet voter identification requirements. The Congressman has also cosponsored constitutional amendments that explicitly guarantee that every U.S. citizen of legal voting age has a fundamental right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction in which he or she resides.

Racial Profiling

Congressman Cohen has cosponsored legislation that prohibits law enforcement from engaging in racial profiling, grants victims of racial profiling the right to file suit, authorizes grants to collect data relating to racial profiling, and requires state and local law enforcement to certify that they have eliminated any practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. The Congressman is a cosponsor of the End Racial Profiling Act.

Police Reform

When, where and against whom police use deadly force is a serious issue that deserves both urgent attention and careful thought. Unfortunately, no meaningful statistics are kept to help us understand how to best prevent deadly force from being used inappropriately. The Congressman believes that states should be required to collect data on all instances in which deadly force is used by police and report that information to the U.S. Department of Justice. The required reporting would include the race, ethnicity, gender, and age of the individual against whom the deadly force was used as well as an explanation as to why non-lethal efforts were not employed or were ineffective. For this reason, the Congressman introduced the National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act, which would close a loophole in federal law that prevents adequate collection of comprehensive national data regarding justified and unjustified use of deadly force with police. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the Congressman is continuing to press for vitally important legislation that will ensure that our community is safe while respecting the difficult job our men and women in law enforcement perform every day.

Congressman Cohen introduced Police Training and Independent Review Act which would create an incentive for states to require independent investigation and prosecution of incidents in which police use of deadly force results in a death or injury. The bill would require sensitivity training requirements regarding racial bias, cultural diversity, and interactions with the disabled, mentally ill, and new immigrants. His bill has been endorsed by the NAACP, the Chicago Tribune, and has the support of the majority of the Congressional Black Caucus. He also introduced the Police Creating Accountability in Making Effective Recording Available (CAMERA) Act, a grant program that would assist state and local law enforcement with the purchase of body cameras to be worn by police officers. The Congressman believes that this country can do better than to allow unarmed youth to be unnecessarily chased, shot, and ultimately killed without any punishment of the perpetrator. We have a real problem in this country when it comes to the relationship between police and communities of color, which they are sworn to protect and serve. The Congressman has dedicated his career to fighting for civil rights and civil liberties, and as the Ranking Member of the Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee, he is continuing to follow these issues closely.

Gender Equality

Congressman Cohen has been a tireless advocate for women's equality in Congress. He believes that it is important that women are not denied their reproductive rights. He stands with Planned Parenthood and the essential preventative health services such as mammograms, HIV testing, and access to birth control that it provides. The Congressman remains committed to fighting for women's health care and opposes any efforts to defund Planned Parenthood or repeal the Affordable Care Act that could put many low-income and minority women at risk. He has also worked to ensure that women have the ability to protect their rights against wage discrimination. The Congressman cosponsored The Paycheck Fairness Act because he believes that with increased information on wage data and a commitment to eradicating wage discrepancies, our nation's women would be better prepared to recognize and enforce their rights.

The Congressman has been a long-time supporter of women's rights initiatives, especially when it pertains to making personal decisions regarding women's health and family. He believes that it is important to ensure affordable abortion coverage and care for every woman. He has long been a strong supporter of a woman's right to choose and believes that this choice is one that should remain between a woman and her doctor. The Congressman is committed to continuing to fight for women's rights here and abroad, and continuing to urge his House and Senate colleagues in Congress to do the same.

The Congressman was honored to attend the Women's March in Memphis.

Reducing the School to Prison Pipeline

Congressman Cohen offered an amendment to the Student Success Act, also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act to allow Title II funds to be used for restorative justice and conflict resolution training. Using these techniques rather than suspension, expulsion or involving the police has been proven to reduce the School to Prison Pipeline. Similar language was included in the Senate version of the bill which was ultimately signed into law by President Obama.

As the Chairman on the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, Congressman Cohen is working to protect civil rights as well as reform the criminal justice system to make it more fair.

The Congressman is also working to support ex-offenders as they reenter society and become productive members of society. He introduced the Fresh Start Act to give nonviolent ex-offenders a chance to start over again. It allows them to apply for expungement to the court where they were sentenced and allows the United States Attorney for that District to submit recommendations to the court. Applicants who are denied could reapply once every two years. Once seven years have elapsed since an offender has completed his or her sentence, expungement will be automatically granted. However, sex offenders and those who commit crimes causing a loss of over $25,000 will not be eligible for automatic expungement. The bill also encourages states to pass their own expungement laws for state offenses. States that pass a substantially similar law would receive a 5 percent increase in their Byrne funding while those that do not would lose 5 percent of their Byrne funds. Congressman Cohen has also cosponsored the Second Chance Reauthorization Act. This bill reauthorizes funding for programs to help inmates become productive and law abiding citizens after they are released. Programs include education, housing, job training, drug treatment and medical care.

The Congressman has also cosponsored the Fair Chance Act. This "ban the box" bill prohibits federal agencies and contractors from requesting that applicants for employment disclose certain criminal activity in their history records before receiving a conditional offer.

He has also cosponsored the No Money Bail Act to eliminate the payment of money as a condition of pretrial release of criminal defendants.

Congressman Cohen voted for the First STEP Act. Signed into law in 2018, the measure gives judges more latitude to work around mandatory sentences where appropriate, and allows offenders who were sentenced before Congress reduced the disparity between penalties for crack and powder cocaine in 2010 to petition to have their cases re-evaluated for possible sentence reductions. It also enables certain prisoners to participate in evidence-based recidivism reduction programs to earn credits to complete the last portion of their sentence in a residential reentry center or home confinement, and encourages the placement of offenders at prisons closer to their homes where possible. The law also prohibits the shackling of pregnant women.

The Congressmanhas also introduced several bills to improve police practices including the Police Training and Independent Review Act, which he introduced with Congressman Lacy Clay (D-MO) of Ferguson, Missouri, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). The legislation creates an incentive for states to require independent investigation and prosecution of incidents in which police use of deadly force results in a death or injury. It also requires sensitivity training on ethnic and racial bias, cultural diversity, and interactions with the disabled, mentally ill, and new immigrants. The bill is supported by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Congressman Cohen has also introduced the National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act to require states, as a condition of receipt of full Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funding, to collect data in all instances in which deadly force was used and report it to the Department of Justice, and the Police Creating Accountability in Making Effective Recording Available (CAMERA) Act to establish a grant program to assist state and local law enforcement with the purchase of body cameras to be worn by police officers.

Congressman Cohen has also cosponsored the End Racial Profiling Act to prohibit law enforcement from engaging in racial profiling, grant victims of racial profiling the right to file suit, authorize grants to collect data relating to racial profiling, and require state and local law enforcement to certify that they have eliminated any practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. The bipartisanStop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act places restrictions and transparency measures on the Defense Department's program that transfers excess military equipment to local law enforcement and prevents transfers of equipment such as grenade launchers, weaponized drones and armored military vehicles that are inappropriate for local policing.

With the 164th Airlift Wing and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington both within Tennessee's Ninth Congressional District, defense and military policy play a significant role in our community.

We need to support our troops with sufficient funding so that they have access to adequate equipment and receive necessary training. I believe that the best way to protect our troops is to bring them home.

My votes for strict timelines for withdrawal from both Afghanistan and Iraq corresponded with the hundreds of responses I heard from people in the Ninth Congressional District.

The National Guard has been stretched too thin by extended tours overseas. Their primary function is to respond to emergencies within the United States. I believe they should be readily available to respond when needed during catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina.

Legislative efforts of the 115th Congress:

Protecting the National Security Council from Political Interference Act (H.R. 804)

This bill prohibits staff whose positions are primarily political from being members of the National Security Council, and expresses a sense of Congress that there should be no limit on access to such meetings by the Director of National Intelligence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Additionally, I have signed on to a letter to President Trump on February 1, 2017 asking the President to restore the Director of National Intelligence and Joint Chiefs to the National Security Council and explain his justification for including Steve Bannon. Steve Bannon was removed from the National Security Council on April 5, 2017. I also signed on to a letter to President Trump on February 10, 2017 asking that he suspend National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and deny him access to classified material until an investigation into his actions regarding Russia is complete. Michael Flynn resigned on February 13, 2017.

ENLIST Act (H.R. 60)

This bill gives DREAMers the ability to enlist in the armed services and permanent legal status provided they fulfill their enlistment obligations and are discharged honorably or re-enlisted.

Servicemember Intimate Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 1588)

This bill would amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice to prohibit the nonconsensual distribution of private sexual images.

Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 1556)

This bipartisan bill places restrictions and transparency measures on the Defense Department's program that transfers excess military equipment to local law enforcement including preventing transfers of equipment such as grenade launchers, weaponized drones and armored military vehicles that are inappropriate for local policing.

Climate Change National Security Strategy Act (H.R. 2908)

This bill restores the core directives on national security and climate change included in President Obama's September 2016 memorandum.\

Wounded Warrior Service Dog Act of 2017 (H.R. 2625)

This bill directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly establish the K-9 Companion Corps program for the awarding of grants to assist nonprofit organizations in establishing, planning, designing, and/or operating programs to provide assistance dogs to certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans who have certain disabilities. Defines "assistance dog" to mean a dog specifically trained to perform physical tasks to mitigate the effects of such a disability, except that such term does not include a dog specifically trained for comfort or personal defense. I also cosponsored it in the 114th Congress.

Restore Honor to Service Members Act (H.R. 2904)

This bill requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation, and permits such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable. I also cosponsored it in the 114th Congress.

Legislative Efforts of 114th Congress

In 2015, I introduced the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015 (H.R. 4246). This bill, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2015, ensures that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their military service will continue to obtain bankruptcy relief without having to fill out the substantial paperwork required by the so-called "means test" under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. The bill extends the existing "means test" exception until 2019.

Other Defense Related Legislation

In 2011, I introduced the Honor the Written Intent of Our Service member Heroes (WISH) Act (H.R. 1046). This bill allows soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen designate who they want to organize their funeral arrangements should they be killed while serving their country, even if the designated individuals is not a spouse, blood relative or adoptive parent. This legislation was supported by the Air Force Association, AMVETS, the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the National Association of Uniformed Services, the Reserve Officers Association, the United States Army Warrant Officers Association, and Vietnam Veterans of America. The legislation was ultimately included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (H.R. 1540), which passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Obama on December 31, 2011.

Generating jobs and strengthening the economy is one of Congressman Cohen's top priorities in Congress. Some of the efforts that Congressman Cohen has made to bring much needed economic revitalization to Memphis include:

Economic Development

Congressman Cohen helped to secure the $71.2 million Department of Transportation grant for the Lamar Avenue redevelopment project, an effort that has been a top priority for Congressman Cohen since he was elected to federal office. The project includes major roadway repairs and capacity upgrades to Lamar Avenue, a regionally and nationally important intermodal freight corridor and will facilitate truck traffic in and out of the BNSF intermodal freight facility, creating efficiencies in the movement of goods and bring jobs and economic growth to Memphis.

Congressman Cohen helped Memphis secure a $30 million federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhood program to redevelop Foote Homes and bring much needed revitalization to Memphis.

Congressman Cohen helped Memphis acquire a $15 million TIGER grant for the Main to Main pedestrian and bike path project across the Harahan Bridge and other improvements to downtown Memphis infrastructure.

Congressman Cohen helped Memphis-Shelby County Airport to be selected as one of ten federal test sites for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (drones), a program overseen by the Department of Transportation that will increase the stature of Memphis as a center for this cutting-edge technology and burgeoning industry, ultimately bringing jobs and positive economic growth to the region.

Economic Empowerment

Congressman Cohen fought for years to secure funding for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center in Memphis that led to a three year $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.

Congressman Cohen introduced the Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas to provide tax incentives for the establishment of supermarkets in food deserts. The bill increases the work employment tax credit to hire disadvantaged youth, community residents and veterans and also provides a credit of sales for fresh fruit and vegetables from local community gardens.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Pay Workers a Living Wage Act to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work and protecting employees from retaliation for sharing salary information with their coworkers.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Credit Access and Inclusion Act to allow the use of non-financial service providers to provide customers' on-time payments to credit reporting agencies, including gas, electric, and telecommunications firms and landlords. The bill enables more predictive information of often-credit-invisible consumers to be utilized to establish credit.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Original Living Wage Act. The bill links the federal minimum wage to 15% over the federal poverty threshold for a family of four ($24,600) and increases the minimum wage automatically every four years to ensure that inflation does not diminish purchasing power.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Keep Our Pensions Promises Act to prohibit multiemployer pension plans from reducing retirees' monthly benefits and safeguard guaranteed benefits to ensure participants from companies that leave multiemployer plans, and subsequently stop paying into them, will continue to receive benefits.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Restoring Overtime Pay Act to support overtime protections and robust wages for working people by pegging the salary threshold to the 40th percentile of wages in the lowest wage census region and requires automatic updates every three years to ensure the threshold remains in-line with overall increases in workers' wages.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Schedules that Work Act to provide relief to workers facing irregular and unpredictable schedules. It would require that retail, food service, and cleaning employees receive work schedules at least two weeks in advance. Though schedules may later be changed, one hour's worth of extra pay is required for schedules changed with less than 24 hours' notice.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to require employers to make reasonable, low-cost, non-disruptive accommodations to employees who have limitations stemming from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Consumer Protection

Congressman Cohen introduced the Fair Access to Credit Scores Act to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide all consumers with a free credit score each year. In January 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ordered credit reporting agencies TransUnion and Equifax to pay more than $23.2 million in fines for deceiving consumers about the usefulness and cost of credit scores they bought from credit reporting agencies.

Congressman Cohen introduced the Equal Employment for All Act along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to amend the Fair Credit and Reporting Act to prohibit the use of consumer credit checks against prospective and current employees for the purposes of making adverse employment decisions.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored a Congressional Review Act resolution to nullify the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rollback of net neutrality protections.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Comprehensive Consumer Credit Reporting Reform Act to make sweeping reforms to safeguard consumers' personally identifiable information from future attacks similar to the Equifax breach, provide affordable access to credit freezing services, and shorten the time period that adverse credit remains on the record.

Congressman Cohen introduced the Tax Return Preparer Accountability Act to give the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) explicit authority to ensure that paid tax preparers are adequately trained and maintain high standards of integrity protect consumers from fraudulent tax preparation businesses.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates to establish a maximum Annual Percentage Rate of 36 percent and applies this cap to all open-end and closed-end consumer credit transactions, including mortgages, car loans, credit cards, overdraft loans, car title loans, refund anticipation loans, and payday loans.

Congressman Cohen cosponsored the Return to Prudent Banking Act to reinstate the Glass Steagall Act to revive the separation between commercial banking and investment banking by increasing federal oversight over large investment banks but maintaining the flexibility of smaller, local community banks.

Education is a priority for families in the Ninth District. I am honored to represent the district's many schools, enrichment centers, and institutions of higher education. Education has been one of the focal points of my career, and I believe everyone should have access to a quality education.

For nearly 20 years, I worked tirelessly as a Tennessee State Senator to initiate and pass the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program to fund college scholarships, after-school programs, and pre-K education for Tennessee's students. Since the inception of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program in 2004, over $4 billion has gone to Tennessee students continuing their education at the college level.

Today, I am proud to continue working to improve education in the U.S. House of Representatives. Throughout my career in Congress, I have introduced legislation aimed at improving educational access and standards for students of all ages.

FUNDING AND ACCESS

I introduced the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Act (H.R. 1674). The bill ensures privately issued student loans will once again be treated like other consumer debt and be dischargeable in bankruptcy. Due to changes Congress made to bankruptcy laws 10 years ago, student loans made by private, for-profit lenders are currently very difficult to discharge in bankruptcy.

I introduced the bipartisan Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act (H.R. 4101). This bill helps stop for-profit colleges from aggressively targeting veterans and active-duty service members by eliminating the powerful financial incentives that cause them to do so.

PERFORMANCE

I introduced the Protections and Regulation for Our (PRO)Students Act (H.R. 2192) with my colleagues to protect. This bill protects students from deceitful practices and bad actors in the for-profit college industry. It provides stricter guidelines for colleges, ensures that students have access to important and accurate information and data, strengthens oversight and regulation, and holds schools accountable for violations and poor performance.

I am a co-sponsor of the Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act (H.R.2022). This bill authorizes a demonstration program to place additional professional secondary school counselors in high schools with drop-out rates of 40 percent or more.

I introduced the Restorative Justice in Schools Act , which would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to allow local educational agencies to use the funds to provide professional development activities that train school personnel to use restorative justice as a means of conflict resolution. Restorative justice is a method that aims to resolve conflicts between students in a manner that focuses on the victim and the offender of a wrong-doing. Unlike traditional punishment, this can prevent the use of penalties such as incarceration that are often times, too harsh, expensive, and counter-productive, leading to repeat offenses. The amendment passed the House on July 8, 2015 and similar language was included in the final bill, which President Obama signed into law on December 10, 2015.

Iintroduced the Positive Reduction of Incarceration by Maximizing Education (PRIME) Act, which is a means to promote the choice of education vs. incarceration. About one in every ten young male high school dropouts is in jail or juvenile detention, compared with one in thirty-five young male high school graduates. This legislation arises out of research that has demonstrated increased education is directly related to reduce incarceration. America's youth must be exposed to the concrete benefits of academic accomplishment.

SAFTEY

I cosponsored The Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 4247), in order to prevent and reduce the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools. This act will protect our youth from physical or mental abuse, aversive behavioral interventions that compromise health and safety, and any physical restraint or seclusion imposed solely for purposes of discipline or convenience, in order to ensure physical restraint and seclusion are imposed in school only when a student's behavior poses an imminent danger of physical injury to the student, school personnel, or others.

TEACHERS

I introduced the Maximizing Opportunity and Retaining Experienced Teachers Act (MORE Teachers Act) to help address teacher shortages and retain qualified, experienced teachers. The legislation, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, would make teachers who teach in geographic areas with teacher shortages and those who teach an underserved subject matter eligible for up to $17,500 of federal loan forgiveness if they stay in their position for 5 years.

Throughout my career in public service, I have been a strong proponent of efforts to lower energy costs, invest in renewable energy resources, promote energy independence and create a stronger more secure economy. Increasing the nation's overall energy efficiency requires a multifaceted approach. The National Resources Defense Council reports that America's energy bill will increase by $420 billion annually within the next five years if we do nothing to reduce our dependence on oil and fossil fuels. That amounts to $3,500 annually for every family in the nation.

It is also important to address the issue of skyrocketing gas prices. There is a misconception that simply increasing production by allowing more drilling is going to magically lower gas prices. However, since 2000, the amount of drilling has increased dramatically over the past four years. In fact, since 2003, the federal government has issued far more drilling permits than the oil companies have acted on. Nearly 80 percent of offshore oil is in areas that are already open for exploration. We have to enact legislation to force oil companies to drill on the more than million acres of land that they have leased, yet remain unused.

We must also develop a comprehensive plan to address the serious energy crisis that this country faces. We cannot drill our way out of this problem given that the U.S. contains 2.2 percent of world oil reserves and consumes 25.9 percent of the world's oil consumption. Rather than invoking our brawn, we must utilize our brains and innovate, as Americans have done for generations. We can no longer afford to throw our limited federal dollars at the feet of oil giants, and must begin investing in American ingenuity and create an American clean energy economy.

For me the choice is clear, either we can drill our way further into oil dependence, turn a blind eye to the destruction of the environment while we suck out and burn every last drop of oil, and we can exacerbate public health and wellness with the extraction and consumption of dirty fuels; or we can create a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs and protects the environment and public health of future generations.

114th Congress:

I offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2028) to increase funding by $2 million (a 25% increase) for the SuperTruck II program. The House of Representatives passed the amendment on April 29, 2015. The Department of Energy’s SuperTruck II program seeks to make dramatic improvements in the freight efficiency of heavy-duty Class 8 long-haul and regional-haul vehicles. Improvements include hybridization, more efficient idling, and high efficiency HVAC technologies. An increase to the account that funds this program was included in the H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, also known as the FY2016 Omnibus bill.

I am a cosponsor of the New Energy for America Act (H.R. 2412). This bill extends the energy tax credit for energy property, including solar energy property, qualified fuel cell property, qualified microturbine property, combined heat and power system property, and thermal energy property.

I am also a cosponsor of the Job Creation through Energy Manufacturing Act of 2015 (H.R. 2296). This bill authorizes $250 million in funding to establish a Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program at the Department of Energy to provide competitive grants to states to establish or expand programs to finance energy efficient retrofits, onsite clean and renewable energy, smart grids, and alternative vehicle fleet projects for industrial businesses.

Other legislative highlights:

H.R. 5821 - The 10 Million Solar Roofs Act

Recently, I introduced, along with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the 10 Million Solar Roofs Act. If enacted, this legislation would be the single largest investment in solar technology in U.S. history. Even though the United States invented the solar cell, other nations such as Germany and Spain have outpaced us in terms of solar energy deployment. Scaling up production in the United States has been difficult because the initial costs of solar remain a large barrier to entry.

This legislation would help individuals and businesses overcome the initial cost barrier by providing funds for rebates, loans, and other incentives to eligible individuals or entities for the installation of solar energy systems. By incentivizing and expanding the adoption of solar technology, this bill would lead to the creation of 30,000 megawatts of new solar energy in the U.S., creating, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the largest solar market in the world in the U.S. Doing so would create up to 1.35 million green jobs in the next 10 years.

Solar energy is as reliable as the sunrise. And by harnessing the sun's infinite power, we can create abundant, clean energy to power an even stronger economy. The legislation I have introduced, if enacted, will create 10 million small power plants located on the roofs of American homes and businesses and more than one million green jobs. And thanks to Sharp Solar's presence in Memphis, many of these new green jobs will be located in Memphis.

The Gulf Oil Spill

On April 20th, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded killing 11 crew members and creating an oil spill that has now become the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history. I commend the President and his Administration for doing everything possible, in the face of incredibly adversity, to minimize the damage of the spill on both the economy and environment of the Gulf Region.

The Deepwater Horizon Rig activities were considered by all to be a low risk drilling exploration, a classification that scares me given the countless riskier drilling ventures occurring along the coasts of this great nation. This tragedy demonstrates that no matter how technologically advanced we become, we can never guarantee the safety of our environment and our citizens when it comes to dangerous and dirty energy sources like oil and coal. In the months of March and April 2010, we have seen 42 people die in dirty energy accidents - 29 in the Massey coal mine incident, 11 in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and another two miners in an accident in Kentucky.

We have also witnessed the ecological and economic damage an incident like the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill can have on dozens of species and thousands of small businesses. It is time for America to develop clean, safe energy sources that create millions of well-paying, safe jobs and enhance the environment rather than destroy it.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes funding for home weatherization, smart grid technology, energy-efficient buildings and as well as tax incentives to spur investment in renewable energy and green job creation. Among its provisions, the law:

Helps state and local governments make investments for innovative best practices to achieve greater energy efficiency and reduce energy usage, including building and home energy conservation programs, energy audits, fuel conservation programs, building retrofits, and "Smart Growth" planning and zoning.

Provides $300 million in consumer rebates to buy energy efficient appliances to replace old ones to lower energy bills.

Invests $500 million in training of workers for green-collar jobs.

Improves the energy efficiency for up to 1 million modest-income homes through weatherization, expanding the number of families (from 150 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty income levels) and the aid level (from $2,500 to $6,500 per household) to maintain the current per-household efficiency investment in the face of diminished state and other aid. This will save modest-income families on average $350 per year on heating and air conditioning bills, while creating up to 90,000 jobs.

Provides grants of up to 30 percent of the cost of building a new renewable energy facility in 2009 and 2010 or permits that business to claim a 30 percent investment credit instead of a production tax credit.

Promotes energy efficient investments in homes by extending and expanding tax credits through 2010 for investments such as new furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, or insulation. Increases the credit from 10 percent to 30 percent of the cost of the investment and raises the credit cap from $500 to $1,500, saving American families money on their energy bills.

Spurs the next generation of cars by providing a tax credit for families that purchase plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles of up to $7,500.

Provides clean renewable energy bonds for state and local governments, electric cooperatives and public power companies to finance renewable energy facilities to generate electricity.

Increases incentives to install pumps that dispense alternative fuels including E85, biodiesel, hydrogen, and natural gas. More of these fuel pumps are needed for consumers with flex-fuel and alternative fuel vehicles.

Makes an historic investment in upgrading federal buildings and making them energy efficient - working to save taxpayers over one billion dollars by slashing energy costs in our federal buildings by 25 percent.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act

In the 111th Congress, the U.S. House of Representative passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). This legislation includes provisions to lower greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy and decrease our dependence on foreign oil.

According an analysis by the Center for American Progress, Tennessee's Ninth Congressional district (TN-09) was listed as one of the Congressional districts who are least affected by the minimal cost from the energy bill. The lowest 28 percent income households in (TN-09) would actually receive an average net benefit of $40. ACES invests roughly $190 billion through 2025 in clean energy and energy efficiency programs, including: $90 billion in state programs to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency; $60 billion in carbon capture and sequestration technologies; $20 billion in electric and other advanced technology vehicles; and $20 billion in basic research and development into clean energy and energy efficiency.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, reports that investing in energy efficiency technology will save the average American household more than $4,000 by 2030. The bill also helps to create jobs - lots of good-paying jobs - in the new "green" industry that companies like Sharp Solar are poised to create. Also, the bill provides hundreds of millions of dollars for coal companies and oil refineries to help them overhaul and modernize their facilities to create even cheaper sources of electricity for people.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act - combined with the 2007 energy bill and the Obama Administration's plan to ramp up vehicle fuel efficiency standards - will cut the use of oil by more than five million barrels a day in 2030. That is equivalent to all the oil we currently import form the Middle East and Venezuela and one-fourth of our nation's current total daily consumption-and will save consumers more than $135 billion in fuel costs.

TVA

On December 22, 2008, a coal ash pond at Kingston, Tennessee, spilled five million cubic yards of water and coal fly ash onto 300 acres of land. It is believed that the TVA the coal ash spill is the largest in U.S. history and could cost billions of dollars in remediation and liabilities.

I subsequently wrote to the Tennessee Valley Authority on behalf of Memphis, Light Gas and Water (MLGW) requesting that TVA explore all possible means of recovering costs for the clean up of the spill to prevent passing along a potential cost increase to Tennessee utility customers. MLGW is the largest of TVA’s roughly 158 distributors and consumes about 10 percent of its electricity.

Consequently, MLGW customers, including 420,000 homes and businesses in Memphis and Shelby County, would stand to carry a considerable portion of any potential rate hike instituted as a consequence of the clean up.

It is critical for residents of the Tennessee Valley region that TVA has the means to continue to provide quality electrical service and promote economic development. Still, it is important that the TVA explore all possible means of recovering costs for the clean up of the spill.

Additionally, I have cosponsored the following pieces of legislation to lower energy costs, crack down on price gouging by oil companies, reduce our dependency on foreign oil and promote overall energy efficiency, all of which I am proud to have voted for:

H.R. 152, the Home Heating Fuels Cost Relief Act

Provides for a refundable tax credit for heating fuels and to create a grant program for States to provide individuals with loans to weatherize their homes.

H.R. 890, the American Renewable Energy Act

Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to implement and enforce a renewable electricity trading program, including requirements governing the issuance, tracking, and retirement of federal renewable electricity credits.

H.R. 1778, the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) Program Act

Provide for the establishment of national energy and environmental building retrofit policies for both residential and commercial buildings.

H.R. 2129, the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act

Makes it unlawful for any person to sell crude oil, gasoline, natural gas, or petroleum distillates at a price that is unconscionably excessive or indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage unusual market conditions.

In February 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international network of scientists, for the first time concluded that global warming is "unequivocal" and that human activity is the main driver of it, causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950. Specifically, deforestation and an overdependence on fossil fuels have played a large part in the decline of our atmosphere and the loss of numerous natural resources. The Nature Conservancy reports that deforestation is responsible for 20-25 percent of all carbon emissions. Another 20 percent stem from automobiles and trucks.

Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report that expounds upon the IPCC findings and claims that climate change is undeniable and is the reason why the past decade is the warmest in the history of record-keeping. The report notes unmistakable upward trends in air temperatures from more than 7,000 weather stations all over the world.

Corporate interests have spent millions of dollars espousing mistruths about climate change and presenting a false choice to the American people - the idea that efforts to preserve our planet and ensure our own survival will destroy the American economy. However, this Congress has exposed these claims for what they really are - lies. The 111th Congress passed some of the most extensive and ambitious environmental legislation this country has seen since the 1970's. Furthermore, this Congress has proven that we can indeed strengthen the American economy and ensure that all Americans can breathe cleaner air and drink cleaner water. I am honored and proud to be a part of such a historic effort.

As a Member of Congress, I have supported numerous legislative initiatives and efforts aimed at addressing climate change and preserving our natural resources:

The Gulf Oil Spill

On April 20th, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded killing eleven crew members and creating an oil spill that has now become the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history. I commend the President Obama and his Administration for doing everything possible, in the face of incredibly adversity, to minimize the damage of the spill on both the economy and environment of the Gulf Region.

The Deepwater Horizon Rig activities were considered by all to be a low risk drilling exploration, a classification that scares me given the countless riskier drilling ventures occurring along the coasts of this great nation. This tragedy demonstrates that no matter how technologically advanced we become, we can never guarantee the safety of our environment and our citizens when it comes to dangerous and dirty energy sources like oil and coal. In the months of March and April 2010, we have seen 42 people die in dirty energy accidents - 29 in the Massey coal mine incident, 11 in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and another two miners in an accident in Kentucky.

We have also witnessed the ecological and economic damage an incident like the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill can have on dozens of species and thousands of small businesses. It is time for America to develop clean, safe energy sources that create millions of well-paying, safe jobs and enhance the environment rather than destroy it.

114th Legislative Highlights:

I voted against S.1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act. Congress approved the bill over Congressman Cohen’s objection before it was vetoed by President Obama. Congressman Cohen voted against overriding the President’s veto, and the veto was ultimately sustained.

I have been a staunch supporter of President Obama’sClean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan establishes the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants. The final Clean Power Plan sets flexible and achievable standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, 9 percent more ambitious than the proposal.

I am a cosponsor of Climate Solutions Act of 2015 (H.R. 1971). This bill cuts carbon pollution to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2035, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Further, the bill empowers the Department of Energy to set a high national energy efficiency standard as well as a renewable energy portfolio goal of 4 percent of all electric energy from renewable sources by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.

I am a cosponsor of Saving America’s Pollinators Act of 2015 (H.R. 1284). This bill requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take swift action to prevent future mass die-offs of pollinators and protect the health of honey bees and other critical pollinators by suspending the use of certain bee-toxic insecticides, known as neonicotinoids. It also requires the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Administrator of the EPA, to monitor the health of native bee populations and to identify and publicly report the likely causes of bee kills.

Other legislative highlights:

H.R. 5821 - The 10 Million Solar Roofs Act

Recently, I introduced, along with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the 10 Million Solar Roofs Act. If enacted, this legislation would be the single largest investment in solar technology in U.S. history. Even though the United States invented the solar cell, other nations such as Germany and Spain have outpaced us in terms of solar energy deployment. Scaling up production in the United States has been difficult because the initial costs of solar remain a large barrier to entry.

This legislation would help individuals and businesses overcome the initial cost barrier by providing funds for rebates, loans, and other incentives to eligible individuals or entities for the installation of solar energy systems. By incentivizing and expanding the adoption of solar technology, this bill would lead to the creation of 30,000 megawatts of new solar energy in the U.S., creating, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the largest solar market in the world in the U.S. Doing so would create up to 1.35 million green jobs in the next 10 years.

Solar energy is as reliable as the sunrise. And by harnessing the sun's infinite power, we can create abundant, clean energy to power an even stronger economy. The legislation I have introduced, if enacted, will create 10 million small power plants located on the roofs of American homes and businesses and more than one million green jobs. And thanks to Sharp Solar's presence in Memphis, many of these new green jobs will be located in Memphis.

American Clean Energy and Security Act

In the 111th Congress, the U.S. House of Representative passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). This legislation includes provisions to lower greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy and decrease our dependence on foreign oil.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the pollution caps proposed in ACES would reduce global warming pollution 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The additional measures for tropical forest protection will achieve an additional 10 percent in reductions below 2005 levels by 2020. The bill also requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review the latest global warming science and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review technological advancements and then make recommendations to the Administration.

To make global warming pollution reductions more affordable, H.R. 2454 includes provisions to increase the efficiency of our buildings, lighting and appliances and promote greater efficiency in industry to ensure that we can deploy renewable energy across the country. These improvements will save consumers money, create jobs and lower emissions. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, reports that investing in energy efficiency technology will save the average American household more than $4,000 by 2030. According an analysis by the Center for American Progress, the lowest 28 percent income households in Tennessee's Ninth Congressional district (TN-09) would actually receive an average net benefit of $40.

The bill also helps to create jobs in the new "green" industry that companies like Sharp Solar are poised to create. Also, the bill provides hundreds of millions of dollars for coal companies and oil refineries to help them overhaul and modernize their facilities to create even cheaper sources of electricity for people.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

In Feb. 2009, the U.S. Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5). The Recovery Act seeks in part to spur technological advances in science and health and to invest in environmental protection and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits. The Environmental Protection Agency manages over $7 billion in projects and programs that will help achieve these goals, offers resources to help other agencies "green" a much larger set of Recovery investments, and administers environmental laws that will govern Recovery activities.

Additionally, the United States Army Corps of Engineers released $27,182,000 in funding through the Recovery Act for civil works projects to be completed in the 9th District. These funds will allow Corps the opportunity to accomplish work on ready-to-go water resources projects that will benefit the nation for years to come, such projects include shovel-ready construction operations in Memphis - from dredging and revetment efforts on the Mississippi River to maintenance projects for the Wolf River and Memphis Harbors and creation of dikes off the river. Other initiatives

In April of this year, I sent a letter in support of funding assistance for the Mississippi River Corridor in Tennessee (MRCT) through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Emerging Technologies Grant Program. This program will enable the MRCT to partner with professional companies in providing significant reductions in particulate matter from barges operating along the Mississippi River. The MRCT is a non-profit organization based in Memphis and is the leading advocate in the promotion of transportation and improved air quality along the river.

I have also spearheaded a letter to appropriators, requesting that Recovery Act funding be allocated towards zoos and aquariums. Zoos and aquariums are leaders in environmental education. In the last 10 years zoos and aquariums formally trained more than 400,000 teachers. They have enhanced local and regional economies, collectively generating $8.4 billion in annual economic activity and supporting more than 100,000 jobs.

Additionally, during the 111th Congress, I have cosponsored the following pieces of legislation to protect the environment:

H.R. 515, the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act

Prohibits the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from issuing a license authorizing the importation into the United States of: (1) low-level radioactive waste or (2) specific radioactive waste streams exempted from regulation by the NRC.

H.R. 644, Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act

Withdraws acres in the vicinity of Kanab Creek and House Rock Valley from all forms of entry, appropriation and disposal under federal public land laws.

H.R. 669, Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations establishing a process for assessing the risk of all nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation into the United States.

H.R. 980, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act

Designates certain National Forest System lands and public lands in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as protected wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, wild land recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors.

H.R. 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act

Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify that fill material cannot be comprised of waste.

H.R. 1666, the Safe Markets Development Act

Establishes an auction and revenue collection mechanism for a carbon market that ensures price stability with environmental integrity.

H.R. 1778, the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) Program Act

Provides for the establishment of national energy and environmental building retrofit policies for both residential and commercial buildings.

H.R. 1925, the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act

Designates specified lands in Colorado and Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Regardless of personal background or political leanings, we all share a concern for access to health care for ourselves and our families. Congressman Cohen is committed to making quality and comprehensive health care more affordable and more accessible. Congressman Cohen will continue to work with his colleagues to address some of the most pressing issues facing our community - including expanded access to health clinics, recruiting and retaining doctors to work in our inner cities and underserved areas, improved access to pre-natal care and services to reduce the infant and maternal mortality rate, and ways to reduce the financial impact to hospitals like Regional One Health, previously known as The MED, that provide hundreds of millions in uncompensated care to people each year.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Congressman Cohen was proud to vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Since its passage, 20 million Americans have gained health coverage from the ACA with tens of millions more benefiting from the health care law including Memphians. With the ACA, young adults up to age 26 can stay on their parents' insurance plan and health insurance companies can no longer discriminate against patients with pre-existing conditions. Memphis has seen the benefits to our public health framework as millions of dollars in federal grant funding have been invested in our community health centers. Congressman Cohen continues to strongly believe in the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and will continue to fight against the removal of health insurance for millions of Americans. Affordable health care should be a right, not a privilege. Congressman Cohen has voted more than 65 times against the repeal of the ACA, including on May 4, 2017 when he voted against the American Health Care Act, also known as "Trumpcare." He has cosponsored bills which would instead protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, including the Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act. Congressman Cohen is also a cosponsor of the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, which would give America a truly universal, single-payer system similar to the less costly and more efficient systems found in Western Europe, Australia and Canada.

Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Disability

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs impact the lives and health of thousands of citizens in Memphis and across the country. Congressman Cohen greatly appreciates the importance of all three of these essential programs and is committed to ensuring that these promised benefits are available to those who rely on them. These programs serve as the safety net for our nation's seniors as well as our disabled and low income citizens, and Congressman Cohen will continue to push Congress to constantly evaluate the performance of the Medicare and Medicaid programs in order to realize the programs' full potential. Congressman Cohen remains committed to ensuring that his constituents receive the benefits that they have earned after years of contribution.

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has been a leading health issue facing Congress. Congress created CHIP in 1997 with broad bipartisan support. CHIP provides health coverage for over 9 million children in working families with parents who either can't afford insurance or hold jobs that lack health care benefits. CHIP and Medicaid together cover 39 percent of children in the U.S. It was shameful that Congress allowed CHIP funding to expire on September 30, 2017. Congressman Cohen wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Paul Ryan, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asking for the clean and speedy reauthorization of CHIP. He was proud to vote for the six-year reauthorization of CHIP funding on January 22, 2018, as well as the additional four year extension on February 9, 2018, ensuring that CHIP will have dedicated funding for the next ten years.

Disproportionate Sharing Hospitals (DSH) Allotments

In 2015, Congressman Cohen helped negotiate a compromise with the Tennessee Congressional Delegation that will guarantee disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments 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. He is a cosponsor of a bill to make the Tennessee DSH allotment permanent. Tennessee is the only state in the nation that does not receive DSH allotments automatically. Congressman Cohen believes that Tennessee hospitals deserve the same level of certainty about their DSH allotments that hospitals throughout the United States have, and will continue to fighting for Tennessee's hospitals in a bipartisan fashion to bring funds that will help keep hospitals around the state open and that will help provide all Memphians and Tennesseans access to the medical care they need.

Medical Marijuana

Congressman Cohen has long supported medical marijuana laws throughout his career in public life and has worked for more rational and just policies. With cuts being made across all levels of government and in nearly every agency, it makes no sense to waste dwindling resources interfering with a system that helps ease suffering and brings in revenue that helps pay for roads and highways, for police and for firemen. Medical marijuana is an important treatment for individuals suffering from debilitating diseases—in some cases, it is the only treatment that works. It is not a good use of our limited federal resources to prevent people with diseases like AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis from seeking a little relief, compassion and dignity. Congressman Cohen introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act that would move to fix our country's failed drug policy concerning marijuana and help medical patients get the relief they need.

Mental Health

Mental health is an issue that is deeply personal for Congressman Cohen, most notably because his father was a psychiatrist who later served as superintendent at the Western State Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, Tennessee. Congressman Cohen believes that the United States needs a mental health care system that is of a high quality, while also being accessible and affordable. Mental illnesses are treatable diseases that impact millions of Americans each year, but many group health plans do not provide the same coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments. Congressman Cohen has cosponsored legislation that would ensure that mental health and addiction benefits are no more restricted or costly than medical and surgical benefits, as well as legislation to support proven initiatives and programs that provide assistance to patients without discouraging them from seeking care. Congressman Cohen believes that it is important to protect the rights of individuals requiring mental health assistance while providing treatment that is comprehensive, nondiscriminatory and protects them against abuse.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) serves as the world's preeminent medical research institution and our nation's best hope for finding cures, improving treatments, and gaining a better understanding of the complex causes of diseases that affect millions of Americans. It also generates high-paying jobs in the cutting-edge biomedical research industry and keeps America competitive in biomedical science. As a co-chair of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus, Congressman Cohen is an advocate for sustained and strong federal funding of the research programs performed at the NIH. Disease is the most prominent enemy of our nation and we must do everything in our power to conquer it. While we have foreign enemies overseas that we have to defend ourselves against, it is much more likely that the average American will themselves or through a family member face a debilitating disease than an international threat. Congressman Cohen has always considered the NIH to be our nation's other Department of Defense and believes that the NIH should be funded accordingly. Congressman Cohen has consistently joined with his colleagues in the House to oppose measures that would cut funding to the NIH, as well as to support measures that would increase its funding through the federal appropriations process. In the past diseases have emerged that understandably alarmed the American public, but with proper and adequate funding we can do more to both stop the spread of and cure illnesses. Increased funding will allow our nation to be better prepared to work from a place of prevention – not reaction – when it comes to infectious diseases. Congressman Cohen will continue to push for funding for the NIH to be increased -- not slashed -- because the research conducted at the NIH helps save lives, creates jobs and benefits future generations.

Congressman Cohen is a strong advocate for fair housing policies and increased federal investment in affordable housing. Mindful of the Great Recession of 2008, during which Memphis and the nation suffered an unprecedented foreclosure crisis, Congressman Cohen strongly supports efforts to prevent predatory practices in the home mortgage loan industry to protect future or current homebuyers and homeowners, respectively.

Congressman Cohen introduced the Housing Accountability Act, alongside Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), which would hold property owners of low-income, federally-subsidized housing facilities accountable for poor living conditions. Working across the aisle, some of the important provisions of the Housing Accountability Act were passed by the House and Senate and signed into law, increasing the accountability of landlords managing federally subsidized housing facilities to prevent chronic, persistent issues that threaten the health and safety of tenants.

In 2015, after a long multi-year, the Congressman was pleased to announce that Memphis, among nine nationwide finalists, was awarded a $30 million federal grant from the Choice Neighborhood program to redevelop Foote Homes and bring much needed revitalization to Memphis. The Choice Neighborhoods program was an initiative of the Obama Administration that sought to transform neighborhoods of poverty into viable, mixed-income areas with access to economic opportunities. The program endeavored to do so through the revitalization of severely distressed public and assisted housing by leveraging and investing in well-functioning services, effective schools and education programs, public assets, public transportation and improved access to jobs.

Congressman Cohen has worked to shed light on the mismanagement of several low-income, public housing facilities in Memphis including Goodwill Village, Tulane, and the Warren Apartments. Congressman Cohen wrote to then-Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Julian Castro, to launch an investigation. Even after a change of management, persistent maintenance concerns remain at several properties which led Congressman Cohen to write to current HUD Secretary Ben Carson, demanding to know what steps the Trump Administration would be taking to bring property managers of poorly maintained public housing facilities in compliance with federal law.

I am proud to have the honor of representing Memphis, the transportation capitol of the United States and the world, on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. When it comes to transportation assets, no place in the world can rival Memphis. Memphis has the busiest cargo airport in the country, three interstates, five Class I railroads, and the fourth largest inland port in the United States. Transportation is the economic engine of Memphis, and I am committed to working to ensure that it remains the number one transportation infrastructure town in America.

The number one priority and issue for me and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is the passage of the next surface transportation authorization legislation.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the transportation system is that the cost of needed maintenance of existing surface transportation infrastructure assets continues to increase. As a result, the quality of our transportation system is deteriorating. Recent studies conducted by the Department of Transportation show that -

Almost 61,000 miles, 37 percent, of all lane miles on the National Highway System (NHS) are in poor or fair condition.

More than 146,000 bridges - almost one of every four bridges in the United States - are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

More than 32,500 public transit buses and vans in urban areas have exceeded their useful life.

Congestion is crippling our major cities and even our small towns, at a cost of more than $87 billion a year, causing hardship for drivers and increasing costs and inefficiencies for America's businesses.

Accidents and traffic delays cost Americans more than $365 billion a year - $1 billion a day - or $1,200 for every man, woman, and child in the nation.

These deficiencies indicate a clear need to immediately invest in our infrastructure and services.

As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am currently working with Congressional leaders to provide authorization funding for highway and infrastructure projects of importance to the city of Memphis. Investment in public transit, highways, bridges, commuter and freight rail as well as various transit hubs, including Memphis International Airport, plays a vital role in furthering development in our community.

During the 111th Congress, I helped secure more than $112 million in transportation and infrastructural investment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, appropriations bills, and other federal grant programs. Some examples of transportation projects include:

$17,772,564 to replace 35 buses and install advanced transportation technology on transit vehicles and trolleys.

$2,979,271 for the Memphis Clifford Davis-Odell Horton Federal Building

$4,163,630 for a surface repaving project on I-240 from Madison Avenue to I-55 and on I-55 from Nonconnah Creek to I-240.

$17,941,582 to construct a new taxiway, improve the terminal building, install airfield guidance signs and perimeter fencing, and make runway improvements at Memphis International Airport.

$1,603,000 for Dredging and Mapping at McKellar Lake.

FedEx

From my position on the committee, I have fought hard to maintain the viability of FedEx and will continue to do so as your representative. Federal Express is the world's largest express transportation company and has made Memphis International Airport the largest cargo operation of any airport in the world, providing fast and reliable services for more than 2.8 million items to over 220 countries each working day.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

In order to rebuild our weakening economy, investments in our infrastructure will put Tennesseans immediately to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges and will also enable the creation of a stronger and more efficient infrastructure for the 21st century economy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $701,516,776 in Transportation and Infrastructure Investment for the State of Tennessee:

$572,701,043 for Highways and Bridges

$71,988,324 in Transit Capital Investments

$57,814,400 for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund

$28,040 for Transit Fixed-Guideway Modernization

Transportation Legislation

I was selected to serve as a member of a House-Senate conference committee during the 114th Congress to finalize the first multi-year highway bill in a decade: the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act)(H.R. 22). The bill was signed into law by President Obama on December 4, 2015. Key features of the law include:

Authorizes for $305 billion nationally to rebuild roads and bridges and fund public transit, freight and Amtrak. This funding will include local highway projects like improvements to Lamar Avenue.

Congressman Cohen’s amendment to help expand and improve paratransit services like Memphis Area Transit Authority’s MATAplus Service for seniors, veterans and individuals with disabilities.

A provision championed by Congressman Cohen to make transit-oriented development projects eligible for financing under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA). Transit-oriented development includes housing in varying income ranges, jobs, improved environment for pedestrians and bicyclists, within a short distance of a transit stop.

$3.7 billion for bus transit programs – a 75 percent increase over current funding levels. Availability of this funding will enable MATA to seek federal money to buy additional buses and expand operations to better connect Memphians to work, school and their communities.

During the 111th Congress, I have introduced several pieces of legislation that will improve the transportation infrastructure in Memphis, create thousands of jobs, and make the city more economically competitive.

H.R. 4287 - Enhancing Livability for All Americans Act of 2009

This groundbreaking legislation creates an Office of Livability within the Department of Transportation's Office of the Secretary. This idea has generated significant support throughout government and was incorporated into President's Obama 2011 Budget and will, more than likely, be created this year. With its strategic location in the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Livability will yield significant power and be responsible for implementing livability policies throughout the Department. More than simply a policy shop, the office is also tasked with working with communities to enhance livability on a local level. This community engagement will take place in two realms:

The office will manage a robust discretionary grant program that will provide grants to communities for both planning and project implementation.

The office will provide technical assistance to communities studying and implementing livability projects.

H.R. 5236 - Aerotropolis Act of 2010

This legislation will amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to ensure that projects that assist in the establishment of aerotropolis transportation systems are eligible to receive funds under the Projects of National and Regional Significance Program.

Currently, aerotropolis transportation systems are developing in cities across the United States like Memphis and Detroit, but these cities are not able to generate sufficient funding for these complex, intermodal networks. This legislation has the potential to provide tens of millions of dollars in much needed funding for essential projects in our aerotropolis transportation system such as the new multimodal bridge over the Mississippi River, the completion of I-69, and the connection of I-22 through Lamar Avenue to I-240.

H.R 5613 - American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act

In response to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, I introduced this critical legislation, and the concept has been incorporated into the House of Representatives oil spill response legislation. This legislation would allow only American flagged vessels to engage in drilling activities in American coastal waters. Doing so will ensure that drilling in American waters is performed with a high level of safety and oversight.

As a Marshall Islands flagged vessel, the Deepwater Horizon was subject to a safety examination that took between four and eight hours and was performed by a private entity that had been paid for by the vessel owner - a significant conflict of interest. This inspection pales in comparison to those undertaken by U.S. flagged vessels which are performed by the Coast Guard and take two to three weeks. By ensuring that in the future all vessels drilling for oil in U.S. coastal waters are American flagged vessels and meet American safety standards, this legislation will help avert future monumental tragedies such as the Deepwater Horizon.

H.R. 4852 - Critical Infrastructure Earthquake Preparedness Act

This legislation directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a grant program to improve the ability of trauma center hospitals and airports to withstand earthquakes. These grants will be directed towards facilities located in seismically hazardous areas that have the greatest need for seismic retrofitting and will be the most critical following a catastrophic earthquake. If enacted, this legislation would enable the MED and Memphis International Airport to apply for funding to seismically retrofit their facilities.

H.Con.Res 240 - National Streetscaping Week Resolution

This resolution creates a National Streetscaping Week which recognizes the work being done in rural and urban areas throughout the United States to become more physically and socially desirable places to live, work, and visit. At the heart of this objective is the desire to create communities that are attractive, safe, bicycle and pedestrian friendly, and environmentally sustainable. Development of such communities will improve the quality of life for all citizens and foster economic development.

It is important that we sufficiently protect our citizens within our borders and keep out those that would do us harm. Homeland Security is not just protecting our borders and screening the cargo that comes through our ports. It also includes providing adequate training and equipment for our first responders – police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. These courageous people work on the front lines, often entering into dangerous and uncertain situations. Congressman Cohen is working hard to provide additional funds for our first responders.

Congressman Cohen strongly opposes President Trump's executive order indefinitely banning Syrian refugees from entering the United States and temporarily halting all immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen executive order and originally spoke out against it on the House Floor on January 30, 2017. He believes it is unconstitutional and immoral. The United States does not - and should not - have religious tests. This hasty and unsound executive order makes the United States less safe. It will provide ISIS with additional propaganda against the United States. The order also singles out a small number of countries, but ignores others like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt from which individuals have been linked to actual terror attacks inside the United States.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Statue of Liberty Values (SOLVE) Act, which would prevent the Administration from denying entry to immigrants and refugees based on race, religion, or nationality. This legislation does not weaken the existing vetting process. Everyone agrees that we should screen refugees to ensure that no one intent on doing harm is allowed into our country. That's why it currently takes up to two years for applicants to be fully screened, and Congressman Cohen continues to support this screening process. Congressman Cohen was very disappointed in the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the President's travel ban on June 26, 2018.

On February 7, 2017, Congressman Cohen signed on a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and Acting Officer for Civil Rights requesting an investigation into the Muslim Ban executive order.

Congressman Cohen voted against the against the Department of Defense Appropriations Act which includes $1.6 billion for construction of President Trump's border wall, breaking the President's promise to the American people that Mexico, and not taxpayers, would pay for it. The House of Representatives passed the bill on July 27, 2017 by a vote of 235-192.

Congressman Cohen is also a cosponsor of the Election Infrastructure and Security Promotion Act which directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate voting systems as critical infrastructure which would mean that election infrastructure becomes a priority within the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and prioritize cybersecurity assistance to state and local election officials, but only for those who request it. The bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct research to mitigate the consequences of threats to voting systems. The bill requires that the voting systems used in elections for Federal office to comply with national standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for operational security and ballot verification.

Congressman Cohen wrote a letter to President Trump on October 17, 2017 expressing disappointment in his decision to set the presidential determination for refugee admissions at 45,000 for Fiscal Year 2018, urging the President to reconsider his determination and establish a minimum refugee admission level of 110,000 for Fiscal Year 2018, and expressing concern about the proposed changes to the resettlement process to require refugees to meet an assimilation standard.

Congressman Cohen wrote a letter to Secretary of State Pompeo and Secretary of Homeland Security Nielsen on July 10, 2018 to set the Presidential Determination for Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2019 to 110,000.

War on Terror / Protecting the Home Front

Ensuring the safety of America and our allies is a matter that Congressman Cohen takes very seriously. This includes preventing weapons and military technology from falling into the hands of international terrorist organizations and governments that support these organizations. It is imperative that any arms sales meet strict criteria that would prevent weapons from falling into the hands of those who would use them against us, our allies or for terrorism purposes anywhere in the world. Congressman Cohen believes that extreme ideologies of all kinds are a serious concern to the safety of our nation and its citizens.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act. This bipartisan bill prohibits suspected terrorists on the no-fly list from buying guns or explosives.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Reauthorization of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act. The National Urban Search and Rescue Response System is used to locate, rescue, and provide initial medical stabilization to individuals who have been trapped in confined spaces due to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and large-scale accidents and emergencies. The authorization for this crucial program lapsed in 2008, but it has continued to receive appropriated funds every year since. In fiscal year 2018, this program received $35.2 million, the year before – $38.3 million. There is a Taskforce in Memphis.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Port Security Grant Program Reauthorization Act. The National Port Security Grant Program is a key component of our national strategy to strengthen critical infrastructure against potential terrorist attacks. The authorization for this crucial program lapsed in 2013, but it has continued to receive appropriated funds every year since.

Congressman Cohen has worked to strengthen Medicare and Social Security and has consistently voted against measures that would be detrimental to their security and solvency. Hard working Americans pay into Social Security and Medicare throughout most of their lives and he believes that Congress has a duty to ensure their retirement security.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of several bills to help protect and enhance Social Security benefits including the Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act and the CPI for Seniors Act to ensure that seniors receive appropriate cost-of-living adjustments.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act. This bill allows the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers over the prices that may be charged for prescription drugs. The goal of this bill is to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Seniors Have Eyes, Ears and Teeth Act. This bill allows seniors covered by Medicare to access basic health care necessities such as eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dental care.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Keep Our Pensions Promises Act to prohibit trustees of multiemployer pension plans from reducing retirees' monthly benefits and safeguard promised benefits by creating a new legacy fund that would insure participants from companies that stop paying into pension plans.

Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, the House Companion to the Senate's Butch Lewis Act. These bills ensure that all promised pension benefits are paid by creating a Pension Rehabilitation Trust Fund in the U.S. Treasury Department.

As a member of Congress, I have supported federal funding for programs like the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has led to several innovations in engineering and technology. I will continue to support legislation that will increase funding for technological and scientific research, especially in the Memphis medical community.

As a long-time supporter of STEM education programs, I know that engineering and computer science are increasingly important subjects for all of our children to study. In Congress, I have cosponsored several bills that would improve funding and accessibility to STEM programs across the country, including legislation that created grants for encouraging underrepresented minority or low-income students to pursue STEM careers.

In Fall 2016, I voted for the budget agreement for Fiscal Year 2017 which provides funding for essential government programs including National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The bill provided $19.65 billion to NASA, which was $600 million more than the agency's original request.

As a member of Congress, I will continue to encourage progress in science and technology for the American people.

The bravery and devotion veterans have shown throughout our history have helped build this great country, and each of us owes them—and their families—a debt of gratitude.

Congressman Cohen believes the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that veterans receive all of the benefits they have earned.

In furtherance of this, Congressman Cohen continues to work with the Memphis VA Medical Center (VAMC) to ensure that our veterans are receiving both appropriate and excellent care at the Memphis VA. Congressman Cohen has also introduced the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act. This bill reauthorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor's Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), which provided up to 12 months of training assistance to nearly 76,000 eligible unemployed veterans between July 2012 when it rolled out and March 2014 when it expired. The bill also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to award grants to hire veterans as firefighters and law enforcement officers. The legislation is supported by the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Military Officers Association of America.

The Congressman is a cosponsor of the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act which provides initial mental health assessments and urgent mental health care services to veterans at risk of suicide or harming others, as well as the Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act. This bipartisan bill expands the eligibility for the Department of Veterans Affairss family caregiver program to include families of veterans who were seriously injured or became ill prior to September 11, 2001.

Congressman Cohen has cosponsored the Reduce Unemployment for Veterans of All Ages Act to lift the arbitrary 12-year limit to qualify for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program, a program to help veterans with service-connected disabilities obtain and keep meaningful employment and achieve maximum independence through job training, employment accommodations, resume development and job seeking skills coaching.

Congressman Cohen is also a cosponsor of a bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other medical service.

The Congressman Cohen has also cosponsored the Medical Cannabis Research Act to increases the number of manufactures registered under the Controlled Substances Act to manufacture cannabis for legitimate research purposes and authorizes health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide recommendations to veterans regarding participation in federally-approved cannabis clinical trials, and the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act to authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of certain forms of cannabis and cannabis delivery for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system diagnosed with conditions such as chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder.