Cooper is the House's conscience, a lonely voice for civility in this ugly era.
- Joe Nocera, NYT September 5, 2011
Cooper is the rare congressman willing to act now.
- Joshua Greene, Boston Globe May 4, 2012
He is a reformer. It's not that he needs this job for self-affirmation. It's not that he needs this job because he'll never get a better one. He's there for the right reasons.
- Norman Ornstein
One of the most bipartisan public officials in Tennessee
- The Tennessean, January 16, 2011
One of top ten "debt daredevils" who "have shown high-souled courage by thinking outside the lines to save future generations
- Mark McKinnon, The Daily Beast, April 25, 2011

I am honored to serve you, your family, and all of our neighbors throughout Middle Tennessee. We are richly blessed in Tennessee and America to live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. But, as you know, it takes all of us working together to protect and to build on what we have. In the next Congress, we will need good ideas, a commitment to working solutions, and a strong voice for Tennessee values. I look forward to working with you to keep our country strong. I am always grateful for your thoughts and input.