Defense
Defense
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.
Additionally, I voted in favor of:
- H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act of FY 2010
- S. 3001, the FY 2009 Defense Authorization, representing a House-Senate agreement on the bill
- H.R. 4986, the 2008 Defense Authorization Act
- H.R. 3222, the 2008 Defense Appropriation Act, which provided the funding for the military needs that were included in the 2008 Defense Authorization Act
More on Defense
WASHINGTON – Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Joe Wilson (SC-02), the Co-Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission) today introduced the Euro-Atlantic Solidarity and Major Democratic Ally Act. The measure would upgrade defense cooperation with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova and create a "Major Democratic Ally" status, strengthening our military and defense ties, allowing us to call them allies.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) tonight voted no on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The vote on passage was 329 to 101.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) tonight voted for nearly $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, including $8.7 billion to replenish stocks of U.S. equipment sent to the war-ravaged country.
The vote on passage was 368 to 57.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today spoke from the floor and voted for the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, which he and the Commission's Ranking Member Joe Wilson (SC-02) introduced in the House last month.
The vote on passage was 417 to 10.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, better known as the Helsinki Commission, today questioned expert witnesses at a briefing on the Diverse Voices Reporting from Ukraine. In his remarks, Co-Chairman Cohen said that the U.S. and its allies must do more to supply Ukraine with the military equipment it needs to win the war against Russia.