Steve Cohen

Volume II Transparency Act of 2026

in committee

Condemning and censuring President Donald Trump.

in committee

Stop Underrides Act 2.0

in committee

“Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend Henry Turley and specifically commend his dedication to Rhodes College, which is recognizing its 100th year in Memphis and showcasing Mr. Turley's commitment to its continued excellence. Henry and his late wife, Lynne, created the Turley Memphis Center for Community Engagement, conceived in 2012 as a hub for the college's community outreach programs and formalized as the Lynne and Henry Turley Center in 2018. They recognized Rhodes' commitment to Memphis and its neighbors and wanted its students to be involved in Memphis and its ongoing progress. Rhodes is now recognized nationally as one of the finest examples of a college committed to its community. The center has also sponsored guest lectures with nationally recognized experts and hosted a series of community events. That work will be celebrated at an April 15th Lawn Party with friends, community partners and alumni. Henry Turley's remarkable contributions to his community are extraordinary and his work with Rhodes will be remembered for generations. I congratulate my friend for this much-deserved recognition and appreciate his continued support and thoughtfulness. ____________________”

2026-04-09 · Education

“Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the pioneering children's cancer researcher Dr. James R. Downing, the President and CEO of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, who is stepping down from twelve years in that role to return to the laboratory. As CEO, he has led a $12.9 billion commitment to accelerate research and treatments of catastrophic pediatric diseases. His own laboratory research has focused on the genetic basis of cancers. As CEO, he was instrumental in creating the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, a genetic sequencing effort to discover why childhood cancers arise, spread and resist treatment. As the leader of St. Jude, he has been a driving force behind improving survival rates of cancer and other catastrophic diseases internationally by creating a global alliance of over 400 health care institutions assuring children around the world have access to the best and most-advanced therapies and care. Overseeing the management of the St. Jude, Dr. Downing has been recognized for its outstanding workplace culture and for being a forward-thinking workplace for diversity and for women. Dr. Downing has received numerous honors, including election to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as receiving the Memorial Sloan Kettering Prize, the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize from the American Society of Hematology, and the Pediatric Oncology Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Downing received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan. He joined St. Jude in 1986 after training in anatomic pathology at Washington University in St. Louis and a fellowship in hematopathology at the University of Florida at Gainesville. In 2016, he was named to the Blue Ribbon Panel of then-Vice President Joe Biden's National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. In 2013, he was a finalist for Time magazine's list of the World's Most Influential People. He is a co-author on numerous medical journal articles on childhood cancers and treatment. While we await the naming of his successor as CEO this summer, I wish Dr. Downing well as he returns to the laboratory at St. Jude and hope that he continues to make significant progress in finding preventions, treatments, and cures for cancer, which will benefit millions of people around the world. ____________________”

2026-03-03 · Healthcare

“Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the ``Black January'' killings, one of the most tragic events in Azerbaijan's history. On the night of January 20, 1990, nearly 26,000 Soviet troops stormed the capital city of Baku, deploying tanks and armored vehicles against the civilian population. Soviet forces crushed innocent Azerbaijanis under heavy machinery and fired without restraint at peaceful demonstrators, including women and children. These brutal actions resulted in the deaths of 147 individuals, injuries to approximately 800 others, the arrest of 841 people, and the disappearance of five. The Human Rights Watch report ``Black January in Azerbaijan'' states that ``among the most heinous violations of human rights during the Baku incursion were the numerous attacks on medical personnel, ambulances, and even hospitals.'' I offer my thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims and to those who gave their lives to help their fellow citizens. The United States was one of the first countries to recognize independence and fully established diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992. Today, the United States and Azerbaijan are still strategic allies and share common interests in the region and globally. As the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I urge my colleagues to recognize the sacrifices of the Azerbaijani people in their steps towards independence and encourage a recommitment to the democratic values for which many Azerbaijanis sacrificed their lives. ____________________”

2026-01-20 · Civil Rights