Steve Cohen
Progressive
Democrat
House Representative
Tennessee - District 9
Current Position: US House Representative TN-9
Policy Positions
Economic Policy
- Against privatizing Social Security
- For economic stimulus spending; voted to create an $825 billion economic recovery package and an additional $192 billion anti-recession stimulus in 2009; supported GM and Chrysler bailouts
Business & Labor
- For raising the federal minimum wage
Health Care
- For universal healthcare access; believes adequate healthcare is a basic right, opposes cuts to healthcare funding, and has voted to extend healthcare coverage through federal funding
Environment
- Against EPA emissions regulation being blocked; opposed a resolution that would bar the EPA from regulating emissions
- Against offshore oil drilling; opposes offshore drilling and seeks to revoke tax incentives for oil and gas exploration
- For renewable energy; supports excess profits tax on oil companies to fund alternative energy research, investments in solar and wind energy, and tax credits for companies adopting clean energy methods
Civil Rights
- For abortion rights; opposes repeal of federally funded abortions and supports access to emergency contraceptives
- Against same-sex marriage ban; voted against the Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment in 2005
Voting Rights & Democracy
- For campaign finance reform; supports limiting campaign donations and disclosure of lobbyist contributions
- For impeachment of Donald Trump; voted for both articles of impeachment in Trump's first impeachment (2019) and the article of impeachment in Trump's second impeachment (2021)
- Against congressional term limits; voted against H.J. Res. 11 which would have allowed a floor vote on term limits for Congress
Immigration & Foreign Affairs
- Against sanctuary city penalties; voted against the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act in 2017
- For Israel support; voted to provide Israel with support following the October 7 attacks
Public Safety
- For gun control measures including a ban on private gun sales without background checks and banning 'fire sales' of firearms; supports urging a ban on importation of military-style semiautomatic firearms; supports gun safety education in schools; but supports the right to bear concealed firearms
- For cannabis legalization; cosponsored the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, Marijuana Justice Act, Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, and the MORE Act; also introduced the CARERS Act to legalize medical cannabis