Dear Friend,

This morning, I attended the investiture ceremony for Kevin Ritz of Memphis, appointed last year to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. This week in Washington, I expressed concern about the health advice and scientific integrity of Health and Human Services Secretary Rober F. Kennedy Jr., and called for his resignation; spoke in favor and signed a discharge petition for release of the Jeffrey Epstein files; celebrated almost $10 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in August alone; condemned Trump attacks on free speech at a Judiciary Committee hearing; announced a $3 million aging research grant to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC); invited talented middle and high school coders to register for the Congressional App Challenge; and offered a Bill Day cartoon, a Friday Flashback and a weekly health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. 

Congratulating Circuit Judge Kevin Ritz

Expressing Concern about the Scientific Integrity of Health Programs under RFK Jr.

Signing Discharge Petition to Require Release of Epstein Files

Celebrating $9.7 Million in NIH Grants to St. Jude in August

Condemning Attacks on Free Speech at Judiciary Committee Hearing

Announcing $3 Million Aging Research Grant to UTHSC

Inviting Students to Participate in Congressional App Challenge

A Bill Day Cartoon

The Friday Flashback

Weekly Health Tip

Quote of the Week

Congratulating Circuit Judge Kevin Ritz

This morning, I joined a large and impressive turnout for the investiture ceremony for the Honorable Kevin G. Ritz, our former U.S. Attorney, who has been serving as a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit since last September after his nomination by President Biden was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Memphis’ best and brightest were present at The Peabody and everyone who spoke, including former Attorney General Merrick Garland, called him the best, a star of stars, a credit to Memphis and to our country. I was honored to recommend him for both the U.S. Attorney and Court of Appeals posts, and I was gratified to see today’s outpouring of support. Judge Ritz showed real skill in coordinating the federal law enforcement response to crime in our region as a federal prosecutor for Western Tennessee which will enhance his work as an appellate judge working with fellow Memphian Judge Andre Mathis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Judge Ritz nominated for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Before his tenure in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ritz clerked for Judge Julia S. Gibbons of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Between college and law school, Mr. Ritz worked for the United States Department of State. Ritz received his J.D. from the University of Virginia, his M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and his B.A. with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, where he was a Jefferson Scholar.  He is a graduate of White Station High School. Congratulations, Judge Ritz.

Expressing Concern about the Scientific Integrity of Health Programs under RFK Jr.

Credible and prominent critics of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, have called for his immediate resignation or termination, and I join them. Not only has he sowed confusion among health researchers, he has encouraged the promotion of sham science and conspiracy theories and demeaned serious scholars and medical professionals and undermined their work. He is doing real harm to public health and must be removed from this critically important role immediately.

Signing Discharge Petition to Require Release of Epstein Files

On Tuesday night, I went to the House floor and delivered remarks on why the release of the Justice Department files on the late pedophile financier and former Trump best friend Jeffrey Epstein must be released. I said powerful people are trying to prevent their release, including Speaker Mike Johnson and the President. I then signed the bipartisan discharge petition that will force a vote on their release once 218 – a majority of House members – sign on. At this writing, the effort has produced 215 signatures. I am the only member from Tennessee who has signed.

Celebrating $9.7 Million in NIH Grants to St. Jude in August

Last Friday, August 29, I announced two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, totaling $1,486,541, to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. That was in addition to six earlier grants to St. Jude from the NIH in August, bringing the total to more than $9.7 million. See details on all eight grants here.

Condemning Attacks on Free Speech at Judiciary Committee Hearing

The Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee invited racist and neo-fascist demagogue Nigel Farage, a member of the British House of Commons, to make the sham case that European lawmakers are attempting to stifle free speech in the United States. In my remarks at the hearing on Wednesday, I said Trump’s efforts to bridle the news media with lawsuits and shakedowns, his stripping student visas from those studying in our universities because of their views, his efforts to censor accurate historical information at Smithsonian museums, and other unprecedented attacks on free speech are the true problem. See my release on the hearing here.

Announcing $3 Million Aging Research Grant to UTHSC

Also last Friday, I announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive a $3,078,607 grant to study the relationship between antioxidants and age-associated cognitive decline under the direction of Dr. Megan Morgan. See that release here.

Inviting Students to Participate in Congressional App Challenge

Registration for the prestigious Congressional App Challenge is now under way with an October 30 at 11 a.m. Central Time deadline. The computer science coding competition for middle and high school students has grown exponentially since its inception in 2013. Students living in or going to school in Tennessee’s 9^th Congressional District are eligible and can use any platform or programming language. Winners will be invited to the U.S. Capitol to demonstrate their projects in Spring 2026. See details and register here.

A Bill Day Cartoon – “Antivaccination Fanatics”

The Friday Flashback

This is me with Gina and Russell Sugarmon on May 3, 2013.

Weekly Health Tip

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate Cancer is the second most common type of cancer diagnosed in men in the U.S. Being screened for prostate cancer before you have symptoms can catch it before it spreads. Men should consider talking with their health care provider about whether they should be screened for prostate cancer. See useful guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here.

Quote of the Week

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, and the rest of the Trump administration tell us, over and over, that they want to Make America Healthy Again. That’s a great slogan. I agree with it. The problem is that since coming into office President Trump and Mr. Kennedy have done exactly the opposite, endangering the health of the American people now and into the future. He must resign.” – Senator Bernie Sanders’ New York Times column Saturday, August 30, “Kennedy Must Resign”

As always, I remain

Sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress