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
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement today in recognition of Memorial Day on Monday:
MEMPHIS – Late Wednesday night, Congressman Cohen voted to pass an omnibus spending package to keep the government open and make transformative investments to help working families with the cost of living, create American jobs, and support the vulnerable. It also included $11.7 million in funding for the community projects in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District that Congressman Cohen requested through this year's appropriations process.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today introduced a bill to name the VA Medical Center in Memphis for Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers Jr., a heroic fighter pilot and member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen released the following statement commemorating this year's Veterans Day:
"Each November, we pause to pay tribute to and thank the brave men and women who have served our country in uniform. This year, we pay special attention to those who served in America's longest war in Afghanistan, and welcome them home.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) tonight voted for a seven-bill "minibus" that includes major increases in spending for SNAP, WIC, school nutrition programs, the Small Business Administration, consumer protection agencies, veterans affairs and veterans medical services, rental assistance, housing for the elderly and transit programs. It also includes funding for many of his highest priority community project requests: