Steve Cohen
DemocratU.S. Representative, TN-9| Age | 77 (b. 1949-05-24) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2007-01-04 (~19 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Jewish) |
| Religion | Jewish (Reform) |
| Education | B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1971; J.D., University of Memphis School of Law (Memphis State University College of Law), 1973 |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (solo practice in civil and criminal law, 1978–2006); Legal Advisor, Memphis Police Department (1975–1978); Interim Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge (1980) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Marital status | unmarried |
| Children | 0 |
| Residence | Memphis, Tennessee |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2006 |
| Previous offices | Shelby County Commissioner, 1978–1980 · Interim Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge, 1980 · Tennessee State Senator (30th District), 1983–2006 |
| Committees | House Committee on the Judiciary (including Subcommittees on the Constitution and Limited Government; Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement; and Crime and Government Surveillance) · House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (including National Security Agency and Cyber Subcommittee) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Progressive Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Congressional Ukraine Caucus · House Baltic Caucus · Congressional Freethought Caucus |
| Ideology | Strongly progressive; ACU lifetime rating of 3% (through 2013); ACLU Legislative Scorecard 93%; League of Conservation Voters 96% (2025); named 5th most effective legislator in 118th Congress by Center for Effective Lawmaking |
| Signature legislation | H.Res.194 — First-ever Congressional apology for slavery and Jim Crow (2008) · SPEECH Act (2010) — banning libel tourism by barring enforcement of foreign defamation judgments that conflict with U.S. First Amendment protections · National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act (signed 2011) · Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship — authored state lottery legislation as state senator (2002–2003), raising over $2 billion for scholarships |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $3,973,106–$10,296,000 (2022) · estimate
| Tennessee Stable Value Fund | fund · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2022 |
| Tennessee Stable Value Fund (second account) | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2022 |
| Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) | stock · $250,001–$500,000 · 2022 |
| Commercial Bank and Trust Company | other · $100,001–$250,000 · 2022 |
| Amgen Inc. (AMGN) | stock · $100,001–$250,000 · 2022 |
| Gold Bullion | other · $50,001–$100,000 · 2022 |
| Congressional Federal Credit Union | other · $15,001–$50,000 · 2022 |
Top donors: Service Employees International Union ($15,000) · American Crystal Sugar ($10,000) · American Federation of State/County/Municipal Employees (AFSCME) ($10,000) · Carpenters & Joiners Union ($10,000) · Communications Workers of America ($10,000) · Franklin L. Haney Co. ($11,600)
Top industries: Labor Unions · Lawyers & Law Firms · Health Professionals · Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.