Veterans' Affairs
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.
More on Veterans' Affairs
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen released the following statement commemorating this year’s Veterans Day:
“Each November, we pause to pay special tribute to the brave men and women who have served our country in uniform. This year, on Sunday, we also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the brutality of World War I.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) expressed his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of John McCain upon hearing of his death in Arizona, and made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) took note of the 70th anniversary of the integration of the armed services by President Harry Truman’s Executive Order 9981 and made the following statement:
Congressman Clarifies Remarks about The Purple Heart
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) clarified his remarks at a joint hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee on which he serves with the following statement:
“I regret mentioning the Purple Heart medal at yesterday’s hearing. My intent was to speak metaphorically to make a broader point about attacks against the FBI and Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into a Russian attack on our country.
Become your own best advocate for government contracting by discovering resources available to help you gain an edge in this lucrative but competitive market. Memphis small business owners will have an opporutnity to learn about the federal government contracting process. If you are new to the federal contracting process and want to know the basics on how to do business with the federal government, this fair will add clarity to the process.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today co-sponsored the PARADE Act, whose acronym spells out “Prohibit Allocation of Resources for Absurd Defense Expenditures,” an example of which would be President Trump’s wasteful proposal to conduct a military parade, and made the following statement:
“America’s greatness is not shown by displays of its military power; it’s shown through respect for the rule of law, for scientific contributions benefiting all mankind, and in our heritage of welcoming ‘the teeming masses yearning to breathe free.’
On Friday, November 10th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at BRIDGES, I will be hosting my 9th annual Veterans Day BBQ Luncheon to honor our veterans in Memphis. I will also discuss my work as your Representative in Washington, DC to help improve the lives of veterans, including my support of programs that assist our veterans who are homeless or who are on the verge of homelessness. Please RSVP at 901-544-4131 by Wednesday, November 8th if you would like to attend.
The incidents at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center reported last week by the USA Today Network are disturbing and unacceptable.
When I read the story, I immediately called Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin to express my concerns and discuss solutions to the ongoing problems at the Memphis VA. Memphis-area veterans have made enormous sacrifices for our county and deserve nothing but the best care.