Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

The American Association of University Women has released its Voting Record Scorecard, and Steve Cohen leads the Tennessee Congressional Delegation.

The rating is based upon members’ votes on issues such as the Economic Recovery Act, the Hate Crimes Prevention Bill, and the Stupak Amendment regarding reproductive rights.

This is Cohen’s third consecutive high rating from the AAUW. You can read their scorecard by clicking here.

Congressman Steve Cohen’s voting record in the 11th Congress was rated at 100% by the Humane Society of the United States.

The Humane Report Card was based upon such votes as H.R. 1018 to prohibit the slaughter of wild horses, H.R. 411 to fund the preservation of rare big cats, and a vote against allowing guns in parks, which makes it more difficult for game wardens to regulate poaching.

Cohen is a member of the Humane Society of the United States and has received several Humane Champion Awards.

You can read the Humane Report Card by clicking here.

Congressman Steve Cohen received an A+ on the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Action Fund’s report card, voting in line with the ideals of the organization 100% of the time.

Cohen also received praise for co-sponsoring the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

You can read their Report Card by clicking here.

Congressman Steve Cohen received a 97% score from the League of Conservation Voters for his 2008 voting record.

You can read his League of Conservation Voters Scorecard by clicking here.

For the second year in a row, Congressman Steve Cohen’s voting record has earned a 100% rating from the Humane Society of the United States.

To read the Humane Society’s Humane Scorecard, please click here.

For the second year in a row, Congressman Steve Cohen’s record in the House of Representatives has been rated 100% by the American Association of University Women.

You can read the American Association of University Women’s Scorecard by clicking here.

Congressman Steve Cohen published an article at the Huffington Post website urging action on his legislation increasing the amount of money insurable under the FDIC.

Excerpt:

On Monday, September 22, 2008, I introduced H. R. 6986, the Individual Depositor and Community Bank Protection Act of 2008 in the House of Representatives which would raise the maximum federal deposit insurance coverage from the FDIC from $100,000 to $200,000. I offered a similar proposal to House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (MA-04) as an amendment to the financial rescue plan.

On Tuesday, Sen. Obama endorsed a measure which would raise the FDIC cap to $250,000 as part of a revised financial rescue package. I welcomed his support and, subsequently, the support of his Republican rival, Sen. McCain. Last night the Senate included this provision in its version of the rescue package, and now, Chairman Frank has pledged to work with his colleagues on the Financial Services Committee to include this plan in a newer version of the rescue package as a vehicle for compromise in the House.

This proposal will not only give consumers more protection in this uncertain environment, but it could help garner more votes from my colleagues who were not willing to support the bill that was defeated on Monday. Every day that passes without a plan, more jobs are threatened as sources of personal and business credit dry up. We need to find areas of common ground, and increasing the FDIC insurance is one issue on which Democrats and Republicans can agree, and I am proud that Sen. Obama is supporting the FDIC hike.

Read the rest here.

Congressman Steve Cohen’s successful bill banning the practice of “libel tourism” recently won praise in The New York Times.

Cohen’s bill, praised as a victory for the First Amendment, protects American authors by rendering libel lawsuits against them unenforceable if the judgments were issued in a nation where the legal standard for libel is set lower than our own.

Excerpt:

The House of Representatives has passed a good bill that would prevent American courts from enforcing libel judgments obtained in foreign countries if those countries provide less free speech protection than the United States does. The Senate should pass a companion bill before it recesses, and the president should sign it.

The bill on “libel tourism” strikes an important blow for free expression. American law imposes a high bar on libel lawsuits — far higher than many other countries. To get around these free-speech protections, some plaintiffs have been bringing lawsuits in Britain where libel protections are notoriously weak.

Khalid bin Mahfouz, a Saudi Arabian businessman, sued Rachel Ehrenfeld, an American author, in Britain for stating in her book “Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed and How to Stop It” that he has been involved in financing terrorism. Mr. bin Mahfouz says that charge is false. The book was not published in Britain, but because a few copies were sold there over the Internet, a British court heard Mr. bin Mahfouz’s lawsuit and awarded him a substantial amount. He is now free to ask an American court to collect the judgment.

Foreign libel suits have a chilling effect on free speech in the United States. They make American authors think twice about writing on some subjects. Even if what they write is true, they may face the expense of defending a libel lawsuit in Britain brought by a wealthy plaintiff. Ms. Ehrenfeld maintains that American authors and publishers are steering clear of writing about terrorism financing because of fear of being sued overseas.

Read the rest here.

Americans for the Arts has issued its annual report card, and Congressman Steve Cohen led the Tennessee Congressional Delegation with a perfect A+ score.

All members of the House of Representatives and Senate were graded based upon their voting records on issues ranging from continued funding of PBS to membership in the Congressional Arts Caucus. Congressman Cohen was the only representative from Tennessee with a perfect score, and one of just thirty-six members of the House of Representatives to receive one.

Click here to read the Americans for the Arts 2008 Congressional Arts Report Card.