Dear Friend,

This week, I returned to Washington after talking last weekend with constituents concerned about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ misconduct and mistakes on the streets of Memphis, and I urged Trump administration officials to swiftly remove them. I also welcomed a Nashville judge’s ruling in a case challenging the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard in our city, voted to release the Department of Justice files on Jeffrey Epstein, cosponsored legislation to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits cut by Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, introduced the Clean Cloud Act, spoke out against and voted for a bill to reverse the Senate $500,000 windfall for some Republican senators, questioned experts on Russian incursions into four NATO countries, spoke with retired Air Force Lieutenant General and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and offered a Friday Flashback, a Bill Day cartoon, a health tip, and a correction. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.

Urging Trump Officials to Remove ICE Agents from Memphis

Welcoming State Court Ruling on Deployment of the National Guard in Memphis

Voting for Release of the Epstein Files

Cosponsoring Legislation to Restore SNAP Benefits

Introducing the Clean Cloud Act

Reversing Senate Payola Provision in Recent Continuing Resolution

Questioning Experts at a Hearing on Russian Aggression on NATO’s Eastern Flank

Speaking with Retired Lieutenant General James Clapper

Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society 2026 Calendars

The Friday Flashback

A Bill Day Cartoon

Weekly Health Tip

Correcting an Error

Quote of the Week

Urging Trump Officials to Remove ICE Agents from Memphis

On Monday evening, I went to the House floor to speak about reports regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) misconduct on the streets of Memphis and said I would be sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem formally requesting that ICE agents be withdrawn. That letter, also addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, was sent on Tuesday. See it here. ICE is not deporting “the worst of the worst,” as promised. Instead, it is detaining our neighbors and friends and people who provide essential services in our community and ICE has no legitimate role in addressing crime in Memphis. On Wednesday, I wrote again to Secretary Noem asking whether January 6 insurrectionists pardoned by the President are on the ICE payroll. See that release here.

Welcoming State Court Ruling on Deployment of the National Guard in Memphis

Also Tuesday, I welcomed Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Moskal’s ruling blocking the deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops in Memphis. I have said repeatedly that I believe the coordinated surge in federal and state law enforcement to address crime in Memphis is useful and is having a positive impact, but there is no need for National Guard troops. Deploying the military to the streets of our city is unnecessary, counterproductive, and expensive. 

Voting for Release of the Epstein Files

Standing in solidarity with Epstein victims after the House vote

After delaying a vote for 79 days, Speaker Mike Johnson brought the Jeffrey Epstein Transparency Act to a floor vote Tuesday – once Donald Trump gave him permission by reversing his position on releasing the files. See my statement on voting for their release here. The Senate acted hours later. I expressed concern that Trump and Pam Bondi are still likely to throw up procedural roadblocks to prevent their release, a subject I raised in a floor speech Wednesday evening. See those remarks here.

Cosponsoring Legislation to Restore SNAP Benefits

On Thursday, I joined 192 House Democrats and all Democratic senators in introducing a bill to restore Supplemental Nution Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits cut by Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill. Cutting a popular and much-needed nutrition program to provide tax cuts to millionaires was always a bad idea.

Introducing the Clean Cloud Act

The rapid growth of cryptominers and data centers is straining our energy grid and outpacing the growth of carbon-free electricity. Utilities are raising consumer electricity rates and relying increasingly on gas and coal generation to meet this load growth. In response, on Thursday I introduced the Clean Cloud Act, legislation to establish emission standards for electricity used by high-demand energy users. See my release on the measure here.

Reversing Senate Payola Provision in Recent Continuing Resolution

I voted against the continuing budget resolution because the Senate compromise presented to us did not address Affordable Care Act tax credits that will cause plans to soar in price in the weeks ahead. Another reason I voted against it was the sneaky provision that allows eight Republican senators to sue the Justice Department because their phone records, under a lawful subpoena and lawful non-disclosure order, were turned over in a routine call-record information as part of the January 6 criminal investigation. They’re permitted to seek $500,000 or more and the Trump DOJ is likely to accommodate them. I’ve cosponsored legislation to strip that outrageous provision from the law and voted in favor of a bill to strike the provision.

Questioning Experts at a Hearing on Russian Aggression on NATO’s Eastern Flank

As the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, I questioned expert witnesses at a hearing about Russian aggression on NATO’s eastern flank. In recent weeks, Russian jets have violated the airspace of our allies Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania in an effort to detect and exploit weaknesses. I said NATO must act boldly to deter this aggression. See my statement here.

Speaking with Retired Lieutenant General James Clapper

On Tuesday evening, I attended the Sam Nunn Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) National Security Leadership Dinner honoring longtime diplomat and former CIA Director William Burns. I was seated next to retired Air Force Lieutenant General James R. Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, and we talked all night. As a fairly new member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, appointed in June, these kinds of conversations yield real insights.

Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society 2026 Calendars

My office currently has a limited number of 2026 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s 9th District.

The Friday Flashback

This is me with Gloria Houghland, Marilyn Dillihay, and Bo Roberts on the night of November 5, 2002, when the statewide lottery referendum won. The Tennessee Education Lottery has since raised more than $8 billion. It was a 20-year effort to get it to the people and have them pass it. If we had term limits, we wouldn’t have the lottery or the scholarships it makes possible.

A Bill Day Cartoon – “The Epstein Problem” -- Deny, deny, deny, attack, attack, attack, and then blame others for your failings. Advice to Trump from his early lawyer, Roy Cohn

Weekly Health Tip   

The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) and Shelby County Government have launched a new pilot program that allows Shelby County residents to have free in-home HIV self-test kits discreetly delivered to their home addresses. According to the SCHD:

The 901HIVTesting.com website makes free HIV testing available to anyone aged 14 and older with a residential address. The kits are delivered in unmarked packaging. Instructions and resources provided in the kit connect the user with the information they need to protect their health, whether their result is negative or positive. The website portal also includes information about free community HIV testing sites, clinics that provide HIV treatment, and information about how to obtain PrEP/PEP medications that can prevent HIV infection.  The first step to knowing your status starts with testing. For more information, click here.

Correcting an Error

In last Friday’s newsletter, a picture caption about the mayors’ Veterans Day luncheon misidentified Sgt. Major Larry McDaniel, the JROTC Commandant for Shelby County, with the wrong surname. The staffer responsible regrets the error.

Quote of the Day

“We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation. What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty.” -- Joint Statement by six members of Congress threatened by President Donald Trump

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

As always, I remain…

Sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress