Card image cap

Steve Cohen's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for U.S. House (TN) - District 9

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Steve Cohen did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2022.

  • Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I'm about to defend #womensrights from GOP's unconstitutional #abortion ban." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by NARAL Pro-Choice America (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "There are some in Congress who want to repeal the last 50 years' worth of advances in reproductive rights for women, whether it's through legislation or by cutting funding for vital women's health services such as Planned Parenthood. I will continue to stand with women and make sure that their right to reproductive choice is protected." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8296 "Women's Health Protection Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "When Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act creating old-age pensions and unemployment insurance, critics, including many Republicans, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Bar Association, called it "socialism.' Eighty-three years later, it is the cornerstone of our country's commitment to seeing that our senior citizens and those who cannot work live out their retirements in dignity and secure financial confidence. In recent years, we have defeated efforts to erode Social Security benefits or privatize hard-earned investments in our future, but aggressive efforts to push these risky ideas are still circulating and we must remain vigilant. I am committed to making Social Security -- the backbone of the safety net for our senior citizens and families -- as well as Medicare and Medicaid, stronger and to assuring their permanence." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The plan blows a huge hole in the deficit to give tax breaks to corporations and the super-wealthy. In so doing, the bill paves the way for future cuts to social safety net programs like Medicare and takes us one step closer to dismantling the Affordable Care Act. This bill is a scam on hardworking, middle-class families and is just another iteration of the Republicans' tried-and-failed concept of trickle-down economics. It failed under Bush, it failed in Kansas, and H.R. 1 will fail the American public." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Take big money out of politics. It would solve so many problems." (www.facebook.com)
  • Co-sponsored HR 1 "For the People Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 93% by Common Cause (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Chairman of House Judiciary Committee: Most Americans agree that the rise of big money in politics undermines the basic guiding principle of our democracy--that every citizen enjoys equality under the law and an equal voice in our elections. While we believe that amending the Constitution should be reserved only for times when no other recourse will do, we have seen the impact of these decisions, and we are convinced that an amendment is ripe for consideration. We respectfully request that you allow for consideration of a constitutional amendment to limit the influence of money in politics in the House Judiciary Committee. These issues are so essential to the health of our democracy and they deserve a full and open debate. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Co-sponsored HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Qualified immunity and unfair standards have made it difficult for victims of police brutality to get justice. House Democrats are fighting to ensure police are accountable to the communities they serve and all Americans are treated equally before the law." (www.facebook.com)
  • "The courts created qualified immunity and it’s way too broad. Police officers must be accountable to the communities they serve. Fixing qualified immunity is a crucial step toward curbing police brutality and restoring community trust." (www.facebook.com)
  • "Too often, law enforcement agencies brush off misconduct by their officers. Reducing police violence requires increasing accountability, which is why I introduced the Civil Rights Enhancement and Law Enforcement Accountability Improvement Act, which would make police departments liable for officers’ unconstitutional actions." (www.facebook.com)
  • "Our budget should align with our values. Congress should ensure funding for non-defense discretionary spending and support priorities like health care. The real enemy of the American people is disease and we need to do all we can to fight that enemy. We need a defense budget, but it’s so large it hogs money from our personal departments of defense, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC)." (www.facebook.com)
  • Rated 92% by Council for a Livable World (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed a Letter to President Trump: With Republicans in control of the House, the Senate and the White House, you do not need Democrats' votes to keep government open. In any upcoming negotiations, however, Democrats will press for the inclusion of the following bipartisan items, among others: Preserving the agreement in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that required increased spending to be spread evenly between defense spending and non-defense discretionary accounts which have both been harmed by the ongoing sequester (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Build Back Better Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "In order to rebuild our weakening economy, investments in our infrastructure will put Tennesseans immediately to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges and will also enable the creation of a stronger and more efficient infrastructure for the 21st century economy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $701,516,776 in Transportation and Infrastructure Investment for the State of Tennessee" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 133 "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 925 "The Heroes Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1319 "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The bipartisan COVID relief package finally recognizes that we cannot get our economy working unless we can get the coronavirus under control. The package provides billions in urgently need funds to accelerate the free and equitable distribution of safe vaccines to as many Americans as possible as soon as possible, to implement a strong national testing and tracing strategy with billions reserved specifically for combating the disparities facing communities of color, and to support our heroic health care workers and providers." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Inflation is a worldwide problem. We are doing what we can. It is caused by the awful coronavirus and the effects it has had on production in China. And it has hurt our opportunities to continue our manufacturing as we saw it before." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Madam Speaker, contrary to the remarks from my friend from South Carolina, leading economists in this country say that the Build Back Better bill will help on inflation. It will ease inflationary measures. It is important that we pass the Build Back Better bill if we are going to deal with inflation. Build Back Better, the Reuters Agency says Biden's spending plan will not add to inflationary pressure." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "President Biden has made good on his promise to ease the debt burden on lower- and middle-class students while avoiding a windfall for those who can afford to repay their loans. The high cost of borrowing should not prevent Americans from pursuing a college degree or result in such crushing debt that they can't get started in life. I applaud the President's commonsense, courageous and conscientious policy announcement." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Today’s targeted student debt relief will lower costs for millions of working Americans who make less than $125k per year and need it most, without spending more on those who can afford it." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "As we will hear from some of our witnesses today, drawing from historical evidence, there is a strong relationship between certain voting laws and policies--such as strict voter identification requirements, the consolidation or relocation of polling locations, and changes to district or jurisdictional boundaries--and voting discrimination based on race, color, or language-minority status." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Earlier this year, Georgia enacted a sweeping voter suppression law, S.B. 202, with little transparency or normal legislative process. S.B. 202 imposes unnecessary and arbitrary burdens on certain election practices that are disproportionately used by Black voters and other voters of color, including voter ID requirements for absentee ballots and criminal penalties for groups that provide voter assistance. It is for this reason that the Department of Justice rightly filed a lawsuit last Friday to challenge S.B. 202's legality under the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Its a fact: voter ID is most discriminatory to African Americans&Latinos. In #SessionsHearing I asked the AG if he would stop defending this discriminatory law. "No" #Sessions said. We must ensure that all Americans have access 2vote." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Earlier today I talked with the #CleanUpTVACoalition about how the nation’s largest utility should be working feverishly to meet the President’s goal of Zero Carbon by 2035. Failure to do so just gives private utilities and other corporations an excuse to burn more fossil fuels." (twitter.com)
  • "The Trump Administration’s move to repeal the Clean Power Plan is another representation of a backslide on U.S. and global climate goals. Despite all of its shortcomings, the Trump Administration ought to have little difficulty in grasping the severe economic repercussions of repealing a strategy meant to lessen the wide-ranging damage caused by unchecked carbon emissions and climate change. Instead, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and President Trump have decided to burden taxpayers with the costs of climate change, increasingly frequent and severe instances of extreme weather, and air pollution. I support the Clean Power Plan and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Trump administration’s retreat from both plans of action will put America on a path toward more instances of extreme and destructive weather, toward more asthma attacks, more missed days of work and school, and more premature deaths caused by carbon pollution." (www.facebook.com)
  • Voted against HR 1119 "SENSE Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2467 "PFAS Action Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Co-sponsored HR 1446 "Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Endorsed by Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (cohenforcongress.com)
  • "I am disheartened, saddened and shocked that a child has been shot by another student at an elementary school. One thing is clear: we have too many guns in the wrong hands. Gun violence begs for commonsense reform." (www.facebook.com)
  • "We’ve had enough thoughts and prayers. We need to save lives and pass gun violence prevention laws." (www.facebook.com)
  • Voted in favor of S 2938 "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Medicare and Medicaid have helped millions of Americans lead healthier lives. These programs that were once deemed controversial are now mainstream and accepted as essential to the wellbeing of those who are eligible. As an advocate of Medicare for All, I know the safety net programs can be expanded and improved but, especially on this anniversary, I stand with those who want to make Medicare and Medicaid stronger and better and against proposals, like those advocated by House Speaker Paul Ryan, that would slash federal funding for these lifesaving programs." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to President Biden: “Furthermore, we cannot ignore the economic benefits of paid leave. Enacting paid leave also means that families will continue to earn some income at the very time when they need it most – when a family is growing or a member is sick and needs medical care. Workers will be able to continue to earn a portion of their wages, allowing them to continue to meet their basic needs and pay bills before returning to work. Moreover, lack of paid leave has meant that workers lose an estimated $22.5 billion in wages each year when that could have been used to keep a family afloat and spent in local economies." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "We must urgently and thoughtfully respond to this pandemic. This virus is deadly and it needs to be treated with the whole-of-government approach put in effect by this necessary measure. I urge everyone to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance, including regularly washing hands, staying home when you're sick and avoiding large crowds. This legislation provides essential support to ensure all Americans can take necessary precautionary steps to combat this disease." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Diabetes is a serious problem in Memphis and Shelby County, affecting far too many, especially in the African American community. For far too long, Americans have had to pay a price that is out of line with the cost associated with the life-saving drug elsewhere in the world, lining the pockets of insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and insulin manufacturers. The Affordable Insulin Now Act caps those prices for consumers and will provide significant savings to diabetics." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The House is keeping its "for the people' promise to America, today voting on a comprehensive plan to lower prescription drug prices and reform an industry known for unexplainable price hikes on life-saving medications while industry CEOs make billions of dollars. This bill literally puts money back in the pockets of consumers, and is a major step in the right direction." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6833 "The Affordable Insulin Now Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "I voted last week and will again this week to pass Republican-drafted, bipartisan bills to end the shutdown. Let's reopen the government and discuss real border security with 800,000 furloughed and unpaid federal workers back on the job." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The larger issue is the Constitution. Congress just last night established how much it is willing to spend on border security and what it is willing to spend it on. Funding for a wall was not appropriated." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Co-sponsored HR 1333 "NO Ban Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "President Trump’s decision to end the DACA program is heartless, illogical and un-American. DACA is a commonsense, compassionate program that helps protect from deportation young people who were brought to the United States by no choice of their own. According to the Center for American Progress, 95% of these DREAMers are currently either working or in school. The decision is not only harmful for the DREAMers, but also for America which relies on them for a more effective and productive workforce. I urge Congress to move quickly to protect these bright and talented young people who have significantly contributed to what makes America great." (www.facebook.com)
  • Rated 100% by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6 "American Dream and Promise Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Co-sponsored HR 1333 "NO Ban Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6 "American Dream and Promise Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Putin is a bully, and you don't stop a bully with kindness and negotiations. You have to stand up to that person. Stand up to the bully. That is the only thing they understand and respect. We need to continue our sanctions and sanction him into oblivion. We need to support Ukraine or else this war will go on and America will be at risk of being personally involved. Ukraine is the battleground now. America will be next through NATO and other efforts of Putin." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6968 "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "While diplomatic efforts persist, we urge our governments to immediately provide Ukraine with the lethal and non-lethal military assets required to defend itself. We further urge our governments to prepare a set of coordinated and harsh economic sanctions ready to be implemented should the Kremlin undertake any further incursion into the sovereign territory of Ukraine." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "It is important that we support Ukraine in every way possible. America does not have to give up its blood from our soldiers in this war, we only have to give our treasure. What a bargain that is for America. We supply and help Ukrainians fight the Russians. Putin sees this as a war against America and the West. We are fortunate. Eventually, it would come to NATO lands, and it will be our blood, not just our treasure that we would have to give." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ".@POTUS has unified our allies and led the way with unprecedented sanctions and military aid, but we must continue to keep the pressure on. We need to do more because if Ukraine falls, we all lose." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of S 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "We're fortunate to have the Ukrainian army fighting Putin’s war against Ukraine and the West. All we need to do is send the weapons. Pleased Biden is stepping up military aid but copters and tanks are needed now!" (twitter.com)
  • "Congressman Cohen voted for legislation, now law, to permanently extend the earned income tax credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit is a federal tax credit for low- and moderate-income working people. It encourages and rewards work as well as offsets federal payroll and income taxes. Families with three or more children may be eligible to receive a credit up to $6,242. The provision was included in the Fiscal Year 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2029)." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Reducing tax rates for the wealthiest will provide tax relief to those who need it least in the hope that the benefits will trickle down to families struggling to make ends meet. It won't. The whole approach is a con job and should be recognized as such." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The ultrawealthy pay very low tax rates because their affluence derives primarily from the soaring value of their assets and our current tax code lets billionaires avoid taxes on gains unless and until they sell their assets. So while working families pay taxes on each and every paycheck or pension payment, the ultrawealthy can make hundreds of millions of tax-free dollars a year. Instead of all their billions going to buying superyachts, rocket ships, professional sports teams, and Twitter, it is time that billionaires chip in like everyone else to pay at least a base level of taxes. There is tremendous public support for this proposal, which will close loopholes in our tax code and ensure billionaires pay a fairer share. It's time to make the tax system fair." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5377 "Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "I'm proud to be able to get to "yes' on this important, bipartisan bill, which is good for FedEx, manufacturing and Memphis. USMCA is a major improvement over NAFTA, particularly in its labor and pharmaceutical provisions. We will need to monitor compliance, especially with its environmental provisions, which are an improvement from NAFTA but could be stronger." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I'm worried we will see a recession. Trump entered office during the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, but he has managed it terribly. Today, U.S. Steel announced layoffs. The poorly thought out trade war is already backfiring because he won’t work with our allies. If we want to prevent a recession, we need to focus on policies that stimulate the economy and put more money in the hands of working people, but Trump won't come to the table." (www.facebook.com)
  • Rated 100% by Public Citizen (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5430 "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
Pro pro choice.Endorsed by Panned parenthood political arm.100% over 38 years in office
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Yes Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
Should raise taxable threshold to at least 171,000$
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Not sure what indirect involves but likely yes
No Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
I supported and voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in Congress, which eliminated qualified immunity for law enforcement officers.
No Do you support increasing defense spending?
Need to prioritize domestic needs. Plenty of waste to be saved also
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
But we do need to make sure they have been negatively impacted. Treasury did not do a good job on this gave money to a lot of corporations that didn't need it and we're making money especially security firms hedge fund firms. And law firms.
Yes Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
Education is a national priority
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
Need to get back in the Paris climate accord. Did you except science and the fact that climate change is caused by fossil omissions and the time is close for damage to earth they cannot be reversed.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
Endorse By every town political arm.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
Voted for the ACA. Defend the ACA. Support strong Medicaid and Medicare guarantees.
No Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Have a strong record on immigration reform. Support DACA kids
Yes Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
No Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
First question is depending on how immature the threat is it would depend on the intelligence that we were offered
Yes Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
Seeing to it that we get back in the Paris accords regarding climate change that we work to get the Iran agreement renewed or re-established.Seeing that the rule of law is respected.Renewing the Voting Rights Act.Passing the George Floyd act which unfortunately the Senate will probably not pass this year.Pass a meaningful infrastructure bill with inner city broadband.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward