Congressman Cohen Votes “No” on Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today voted against the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act.

The measure passed the House on a 222 to 209 vote. It now goes to the president to be signed into law.

Congressman Cohen explained his vote in the following statement:

"I certainly want to see the federal government reopened. I want to see air traffic controllers and all other federal employees paid and SNAP benefits restored. But the Republican compromise reached this week did not include provisions for extending health care subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called health care a fundamental civil right. My father was a doctor and I was stricken with polio at the age of five, spent months in the hospital and more months on crutches. To this day, I have health problems related to polio. I understand how important health care is. As a county commissioner, I put together the coalition of votes to create the Regional Medical Center in Memphis which we used to call 'The Med,' now Regional One. One of my proudest votes in Congress was for passage of the ACA. Everyone should have affordable health care. Senate Democrats should have stood firm on extending ACA subsidies. By not extending the ACA subsidies, millions of Americans will not be able to afford health coverage. I will always fight for health care. That's why I cast a 'no' vote on the Continuing Resolution tonight.

"There are other good reasons to oppose the bill we considered tonight, including a requirement that telecommunications companies alert senators if their data has been requested for any legal process. It allows the eight Republicans whose phone records were seized as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the January 6 attack on the Capitol to receive at least $500,000 each of taxpayer money from legal challenges stemming from the probe, even though the substance of their calls was not sought by the subpoenas, only the parties to the calls on the day before, January 6, and the following day, a legitimate inquiry under the circumstances. Both of Tennessee's senators could benefit from that provision."

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