Dear Neighbor:

Whether you call Montgomery, Frederick or Carroll County home, I am continually grateful to represent you and your family in the United States Congress. It was a surpassing honor to serve as your Representative and carry your voice on Capitol Hill in 2021.

I’m proud of the work I’ve done in Congress to counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, empower working families and protect our democracy this past year.

With all best wishes for 2022,

Jamie Raskin

Relief and Recovery from COVID-19

In February, I was proud to cast my vote to pass the historic American Rescue Plan (ARP) through the House of Representatives. With President Biden’s signature in March, the ARP funded a COVID-19 response to help turn the tide of the pandemic, delivered tax cuts to working families through the Child Tax Credit, and is restoring and renewing struggling small businesses with direct relief. To read more about the American Rescue Plan, click here, and for updates on funding specific to Maryland and our region, click here. 

Historic Investment in American Infrastructure

In November, Congress also passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which means that clean drinking water, revitalized roads, updated public transportation, accessible broadband and more are on the way to neighborhoods across MD-08 and America. We’re still working to pass the full Build Back Better agenda through both houses of Congress, which will revitalize not only our physical but also our human infrastructure. We can provide universal pre-K for all three- and four-year-olds, cut taxes for working families, lower health care costs for millions of Americans, cover hearing tests and hearing aids for Medicare recipients, address the civilizational threat of climate change and more.

Innovation and Community in Maryland’s Eighth

In December, I was proud to welcome Congressman Jim McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and our steadfast anti-hunger champion in Congress to our district to see how our MD-08 community is working to feed our people. We saw firsthand how Manna Food Center, Crossroads Community Food Network, the Clifton Park Baptist Church, Montgomery and Frederick County food system experts and other local heroes are leading the way to a sustainable future in Maryland’s Eighth. To see more from our visit, click here.

Casework and Advocacy for MD-08

Whether you want to expedite a passport or need help with the IRS, my district office staff and I stand ready to assist you with any issues you have regarding a federal agency. I'm proud to report that in 2021, we resolved 4,771 cases and recovered $1,528,395 for my constituents. My hardworking staff in Rockville helped constituents like you secure their unemployment benefits, get help with the IRS, solve USPS delivery issues, process their passports, resolve their immigration cases and more. Please know that if you need help with a federal agency you can always contact our office here.

The Fight for Democracy

After a violent mob stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, in the most sweeping violent attack on the halls of Congress since the War of 1812, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed me Lead House Manager to prosecute the second Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Our trial ended with a historic 57-43 vote to convict the president for inciting a violent insurrection against the government to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. The fight to protect our democracy continues with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, where each day, my bipartisan colleagues and I diligently obtain information from witnesses, analyze documents and review evidence to understand how this violent attack on the halls of Congress materialized. We look forward to delivering a comprehensive report to the American people and recommending legislative solutions to fortify the democracy we hold dear and ensure that a violent assault on democracy never happens again.

Youth Creativity Across Our District

In 2021, I was continually dazzled by the creativity, ingenuity and public spirit of students throughout Maryland’s Eighth District.

Yun Ji Choi of Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda took MD-08 first place in the annual 2021 Congressional Art Competition for “Promise To Keep You Safe.” The piece hangs in the Capitol alongside winners from across the country and U.S. territories in a stunning display of the future of American art. To view “Promise To Keep You Safe” and the other MD-08 honorees in our virtual gallery, click here.

The MD-08 winners of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge demonstrated similar creativity and promise. Ainesh Chatterjee, Salamun Nuhin, Botond Parkanyi and Charles Wang created CoronaSafe, a Python-based application that analyzes COVID case data and urban density to create a unique COVID contraction risk calculation for any global address given by the user. To watch my conversation with these students, click here, and to learn more about their app, click here.

Committee Work to Advance Your Priorities

In the 117th Congress, I have the honor of serving on four full committees, a select committee and a select subcommittee. I have the opportunity to mark up legislation and participate in hearings on the House Judiciary Committee, the Committee on Oversight and Reform, the Committee on House Administration, the House Rules Committee, the Coronavirus Select Subcommittee and the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. I also chair the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. I’m proud of the work my colleagues and I do in committee, from investigating violent white supremacy, standing against forced arbitration, working to prevent election subversion, confronting voter suppression to honoring the law enforcement officers who defended our Capitol from insurrection.

In 2021, I worked overtime for Maryland's Eighth: introducing and advancing your legislative priorities, addressing your problems and resolving your casework, and delivering federal funding to our state and district. Please peruse a final overview of some of my work by the numbers below: