Congressman Jamie Raskin

Raskin, Garcia and Morelle Unveil Landmark Legislation to Curb Trump Administration’s Historic Abuses of Power, Profiteering from Public Office

Thu, 134 May 2026 12:00:00 EST

Legislation would target unprecedented government corruption, protect American elections from foreign interference...

Raskin Statement on H.R. 1346

Wed, 133 May 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1346, legislation that allows for the year-round sale of gasoline mixed with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15):

"In a desperate attempt to put a Band-Aid on the Trump Administration’s ongoing public relations debacles, the Republican-led House passed a bill they claim will lower the astronomically high gas prices caused by the President’s illegal war of choice on Iran. What this bill will actually do is further degrade our environment and exacerbate the climate crisis. E15 will make our air and water quality dramatically worse: scientists warn that it will increase smog, particularly during the summer months, and threaten water supplies through the runoff from millions of acres of new corn fields. It will sharply increase carbon emissions and reduce biodiversity while destroying the forests and grasslands we need to absorb carbon dioxide. As for the reputed financial benefit to consumers E15 yields lower gas mileage than the gasoline most widely available now, meaning that Americans will need to fill their tanks more often.”

“The average gas price in Maryland has surpassed $4.40 per gallon and the national average is even higher. This bill is a farce, not a solution, and the American people won’t be fooled. When my Republican colleagues are ready to bring down these exorbitant, Trump-induced fuel costs for our people, I’d welcome them into our bipartisan coalition working to pass a War Powers Resolution to end this lawless and extraordinarily costly conflict in Iran. They have another chance to vote with us this week.”

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Raskin, Bacon and Dexter Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Pension Payments for NOAA Corps, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

Tue, 132 May 2026 12:00:00 EST

Raskin: “Our bipartisan legislation will mean these patriots will get the pensions they earned so they don’t go hungry or struggle to pay their rent or mortgage during a government shutdown.”...

Raskin, Van Hollen and Alsobrooks to Trump Administration: Save the World’s Largest Workplace Giving Program

Thu, 127 May 2026 12:00:00 EST

The Combined Federal Campaign helps federal workers donate millions of dollars to charitable organizations across America...

Raskin Statement on GOP’s Dangerous ICE Boondoggle

Thu, 120 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST

Raskin: “Instead of lowering costs or restoring Americans’ health care, the GOP is bankrolling Trump’s violent Gangster State.” ...

Raskin, Colleagues to Hegseth: Keep Stars and Stripes, Pentagon Press Corps Free and Independent

Wed, 105 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and 38 of his colleagues demanded that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth protect the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes—a nonpartisan military news publication housed within the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)—and reverse unconstitutional restrictions on the Pentagon press corps.

“A free and independent press is indispensable to the functioning of our democracy,” Raskin and his colleagues wrote. "From the Civil War through today’s military conflicts, Stars and Stripes has served as a trusted, nonpartisan source of news for servicemembers and their families around the world.”

“The Pentagon press corps plays a vital role in ensuring transparency and accountability within the Department of Defense,” the lawmakers continued. "Limitations on press access, retaliation against journalists, and the imposition of viewpoint-based restrictions all undermine public trust and erode the principles of civilian oversight and democratic governance.”

Stars and Stripes is a nonpartisan news organization that is operated by the Pentagon but has remained editorially independent from the Department throughout its history. The outlet has provided reliable reporting on defense and military news since the Civil War. In 1991, Congress created an ombudsman position which reports directly to the House and Senate, a measure designed to protect the publication’s independent reporting.

Secretary Hegseth has targeted Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence through policy changes disguised as “modernization” efforts and implemented draconian measures to restrict access to the Pentagon only to media outlets that sign onto a policy that prohibits them from collecting information unless DOD explicitly grants them access to it. This rule violates the First Amendment to the Constitution and has displaced many nonpartisan journalists in favor of right-wing propaganda outlets and content creators more willing to act as mouthpieces for the Trump Administration.

“The First Amendment does not stop at the doors of the Pentagon,” the lawmakers wrote. “While operational security and the safety of our troops must always be safeguarded, these imperatives cannot be used as a pretext for suppressing lawful journalism or discouraging critical reporting, especially during a time of war.”

On March 20 and again on April 9, a federal judge affirmed that the Department’s restrictions on the Pentagon press corps were unlawful. In their letter, the lawmakers demanded Hegseth take immediate action to comply with this court order.

Read the full letter to Secretary Hegseth here and below.

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

We write to express our great alarm about recent reports of political interference with the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes and restrictions placed on members of the Pentagon press corps.

A free and independent press is primary and indispensable to the functioning of our democracy. From the Civil War through today’s military conflicts, Stars and Stripes has served as a trusted, nonpartisan source of news for servicemembers and their families around the world. Its huge reservoir of credibility rests on its editorial independence, protected by statute and longstanding Department of Defense policy. Congress created the position of Stars and Stripes ombudsman in the National Defense Authorization Act of 1991. The ombudsman is charged with safeguarding the editorial independence of the newspaper and reports directly to Congress, specifically to prevent interference from the Department.

The current ombudsman has forcefully denounced your Department’s plans for Stars and Stripes in multiple interviews, raising the alarm about your announced changes and their consequences for the news organization. Any effort to censor, influence, control, or suppress the paper’s reporting raises profound constitutional and institutional problems.

Similarly, the Pentagon press corps plays a vital role in ensuring transparency and accountability within the Department of Defense. Limitations on press access, retaliation against journalists, and the imposition of viewpoint-based restrictions all undermine public trust and erode the principles of civilian oversight and democratic governance. These basic tenets of our democracy were reaffirmed by a federal judge who, on two separate occasions, found that your Department’s draconian restrictions on the Pentagon press corps were unlawful. Your subsequent decision to defy the spirit of the court’s rulings displays tremendous contempt for the rule of law and further raises doubts about this Administration’s commitment to the basic Constitutional principles that Americans live by.

The First Amendment does not stop at the doors of the Pentagon. While operational security and the safety of our troops must always be safeguarded, these imperatives cannot be used as a pretext for suppressing lawful journalism or discouraging critical reporting, especially during a time of war.

Accordingly, we ask that you provide clear and complete responses to the following questions and requests:

What is the process by which specific articles are altered, suppressed, or delayed by Stars and Stripes? Please provide documentation for every instance where articles have been altered, suppressed, or delayed.
What measures is the Department taking to come into full compliance with the court rulings affecting the Pentagon press corps, if any?
Please provide Congress with a copy of the March 9 memo that was issued by the Department regarding editorial oversight and content restrictions for Stars and Stripes.

Congress has a solemn responsibility to conduct oversight of the Department of Defense, and a free press is an essential partner in that effort. We urge you to reaffirm your commitment to transparency, accountability, and the free speech and free press principles that guide our nation.

We request a written response to these questions no later than May 11, 2026, and we are prepared to pursue further oversight measures as is necessary.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

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Ranking Member Raskin Introduces Legislation Establishing Independent Commission on Presidential Capacity

Tue, 104 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST

Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation establishing a Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office, the body and process called for in Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to enable Congress to ensure effective and uninterrupted leadership in the presidency. This body is the legislative counterpart to the Cabinet and would have the power to work with the Vice President. Essentially, the 25th Amendment gives us a constitutional answer to any medical crisis that might occur.

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment empowers Congress to establish a permanent “body” that, with the concurrence of the Vice President, can declare that the President is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Although the 25th Amendment was adopted more than 50 years ago, Congress never set up this body called for in Section 4. Ranking Member Raskin’s bill establishes this independent nonpartisan body: The Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office. This means the Vice President could act either with a majority of the Cabinet or a majority of this body in the event of a 25th Amendment crisis.

In emergency situations, Congress could pass a concurrent resolution requiring the Commission to examine the President, determine his/her ability to execute the powers and duties of the office, and report its findings to Congress. If presidential incapacity exists according to the Vice President and a majority of the Commission, the Vice President would immediately assume the role of Acting President.

“The Constitution explicitly vests Congress with the authority to create a body that will guarantee the successful continuity of government by responding to presidential incapacity to discharge the powers and duties of office. We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet. This body should have been set up by Congress when the 25th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1967. We have 535 Members of Congress but just one President and this body is a necessary element of successful continuity of government. Congress should act now to establish a permanent and standing Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office.

“Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ. We are at a dangerous precipice, and it is now a matter of national security for Congress to fulfill its responsibilities under the 25th Amendment to protect the American people from an increasingly volatile and unstable situation,” said Ranking Member Raskin.

Under the legislation, which is scrupulously bipartisan, the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader will each select four retired statespersons from the Executive Branch (such as former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Attorneys General and Surgeons General, Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury) to serve on the Commission.

Additionally, the Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber will select four physicians and four psychiatrists to serve on the Commission. The 16 appointed members then select a 17th member to act as the Chair of the Commission. In order to avoid conflicts of interest and both civilian and military chain of command issues, none of the members can be current elected officials, federal employees, or members of the active or reserve military.

Ranking Member Raskin’s reintroduction of this legislation follows a series of increasingly volatile, incoherent, and alarming public statements by the President regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran, which have raised urgent concerns across the political spectrum about his cognitive fitness.

These concerns prompted Ranking Member Raskin to write to White House Physician Captain Sean Barbabella last week, demanding an immediate and comprehensive cognitive and neurological evaluation of President Trump, along with full public disclosure of the findings.

Bill text is available here. An overview of the legislation and background on the 25th Amendment is available here. FAQs are available here.

50 House Democrats are original cosponsors of the legislation.

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Raskin Bill To Rename Olney Post Office After Veteran Employee Passes House

Tue, 104 Apr 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Representative Jamie Raskin’s (MD-08) bipartisan bill to rename the Olney Post Office after Sergeant Edward “Ed” Lawrence Ramsey, a longtime employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and Army Veteran. The House will now send Rep. Raskin’s bill to the Senate for consideration. If the bill passes the Senate, it will then go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“Sergeant Ed Ramsey was a devoted public servant who dedicated his life to his family, his community and his country,” said Rep. Raskin. “Ed was renowned and admired in Montgomery County where he worked joyously for 27 years after serving for more than two decades in the U.S. Army. We hold his memory in our hearts, and we are grateful to honor his life’s work by renaming the Olney Post Office.”

Raskin introduced the bipartisan bill on November 25, 2025. On December 2, it cleared the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with bipartisan support. The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Steny Hoyer, Andy Harris, Kweisi Mfume, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney and Johnny Olszewski (all MD). U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both MD) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

Sergeant Ramsey tragically passed away in 2022 after a personal medical emergency while he was on duty at the Post Office. If this legislation passes through the Senate and becomes law, the post office where he commendably served will be renamed the “Edward L. Ramsey Olney Post Office Building” in his loving memory.

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Raskin Introduces Slate of Bipartisan Legislation to Tackle America’s Mental Health Crisis

Thu, 85 Mar 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation to invest in critically needed initiatives that help Americans experiencing mental health crises. As a rising number of Americans struggle with their mental health, the Stabilization to Prevent (STOP) Suicide Act and the 9-8-8 Connect Act would provide federal funding to organizations in our communities that are already working to support people in crisis and in recovery.

“Tens of millions of Americans have either suffered a mental health crisis or know a close loved one who has,” said Rep. Raskin. “For too many, seeking help can feel frightening or out of reach. Our bipartisan bills will help mental health care providers do their jobs and expand access to care for the many Americans who need it.”

The STOP Suicide Act, led by Rep. Raskin and Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), expands access to evidence-based stabilization care for individuals with serious thoughts of suicide. Stabilization services can help patients reduce or eliminate imminent suicide risk and manage dangerous impulses, keeping them safe while relieving pressure on law enforcement and emergency rooms. This legislation will create a new grant program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand access to effective and timely outpatient and virtual stabilization care and treatment.

“People experiencing serious thoughts of suicide often find themselves without support and timely treatment,” said Rep. Bacon. “The STOP Suicide Act will provide an important tool that will help create needed programs to deliver outpatient or telehealth stabilization services. I’m pleased to join Rep. Raskin on this legislation that will help community health centers, rural health clinics, and others create and manage these programs.”

“In 2023, 49,316 people died by suicide and 12.8 million adults experienced serious thoughts of suicide in the United States. Research shows that even brief evidence-based suicide interventions can help people manage suicidal thoughts and increase connection to follow-up care,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “AFSP is proud to support the Stabilization to Prevent (STOP) Suicide Act, which supports suicide-specific stabilization services for individuals experiencing serious thoughts of suicide, helping people access interventions in the least restrictive setting possible, while relieving pressure on emergency departments and law enforcement. AFSP thanks Representative Raskin and Representative Bacon for their bipartisan leadership in advancing this important legislation.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the American Psychological Association.

The 9-8-8 Connect Act, led by Rep. Raskin and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), connects individuals experiencing a behavioral or mental health crisis with follow-up services and expands access to the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Follow-up services may include check-ins to assess well-being and level of risk, and outreach to engage at-risk individuals in services.

“A serious crisis response cannot end with the first point of contact. It must be strong enough to help carry people from a moment of danger toward stability, support, and care. The 9-8-8 Connect Act takes a smart, targeted step in that direction by strengthening follow-up support, improving access to 9-8-8, and helping direct resources where service gaps are most acute. Through my work as Co-chair of Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force and partnership with our incredible PA-1 advocates, I have seen firsthand how important that continuity can be. This is the kind of practical, life-saving reform that can close dangerous gaps and help build a better crisis response system for the people who depend on it,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

If you need immediate mental-health support at any time of day, dial 988 to be connected to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Counselors can also be reached by text message or online chat. You may also dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Read the full text of the Stop Suicide Act here and the 9-8-8 Connect Act here.

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Raskin, Merkley Legislation Would Ban Prediction Market Gambling on Elections, Sports, War and Government Activity

Thu, 85 Mar 2026 12:00:00 EST

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced new legislation to crack down on often-times corrupt prediction markets.

Raskin and Merkley’s STOP Corrupt Bets Act responds to the recent explosion of prediction markets, which now offer event contracts on everything from elections to sports and acts of war. The bicameral bill would ban prediction market betting on elections, government actions, sports and military actions. These areas are not commodities and have little-to-no value in helping business investments. Initially, event contracts were created to be financial instruments for industries, particularly farmers, to use to hedge against potential losses.

“The oligarchs and opportunists are using prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket to enrich themselves. But democracy isn’t about insider gambling on our common future, it’s about everyone making our common future together. Placing bets on public policy and political events informed by insider knowledge and insider manipulation spreads civic cynicism and distrust in our democratic institutions," said Rep. Raskin. “By banning bets on elections, legislation, acts of war and other government actions, we can oppose corrupt attempts to rig our democracy and profit from the fix, and we can redeem public faith in the idea that government is an instrument for the common good and not a casino.”

“When anyone can use prediction markets to make a well-timed bet on Congress passing a bill, government decisions, or a military strike, it’s ripe for corruption and erodes public trust,” said Sen. Merkley. “The STOP Corrupt Bets Act restores the original intent of prediction markets and prevents these markets from further eroding our democratic institutions and turning them into a casino. I’m ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to crack down on this bad bet for democracy and restore our vision of government ‘of, by, and for the people,’ not government ‘of, by, and for the powerful.’”

Prior to 2024, event contracts on elections, sports, and government actions did not exist in the United States. A lawsuit brought by Wall Street firm Kalshi paved the way for election betting just months before that year’s presidential election, and the 2026 midterm elections will be the first full election cycle that allows election gambling. This is happening at the same time as reports of individuals using prediction markets to place suspiciously timed bets and earn massive payouts following the fall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, ouster of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and military actions against Iran.

The STOP Corrupt Bets Act would:

Explicitly prohibit event contracts on:

Elections and their outcome;
Government actions across all branches unless there’s a commercial hedging need;
Sports, and;
U.S. or foreign military actions.

Clarify that the intent of Congress in the original statute was that these markets are already against the intent of the Commodity Exchange Act, and that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) must enforce and prevent any market that doesn’t have a commercial hedging value to prevent unregulated gambling.
Clarify that nothing in this bill preempts any State law that regulates or prohibits gambling or gaming.
Require the non-partisan, independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on prediction markets, insider trading, preventing any other markets that are “gaming” or gambling, the impact on children, and ways Congress can rein in offshore illegal bets.

This legislation also returns the power of regulating gambling to the states by ensuring they can choose to allow gambling and regulate it under state jurisdiction or prohibit it. Notably, this legislation does not prohibit state-regulated gambling, including traditional sports gambling. At least 20 federal suits have been filed against platforms offering prediction markets for their products that are akin to gambling, in direct violation of state law.

The STOP Corrupt Bets Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Raskin and Merkley’s bill is supported by Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and Democracy Defenders Action.

"The prediction market industry has become nothing more than a gambling business by any other name. Recent bets on prediction market platforms on, say, the killing of a national leader or the price of oil that were placed moments before the federal government took actions causing those bets to become reality, suggests those bettors may have had insider information. The federal government should not be in the business of trying to run casinos. The 'STOP Corrupt Bets Act of 2026' by Sen. Merkley and Rep. Raskin would prevent prediction markets from operating as casinos and is heartily endorsed by Public Citizen,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.

“Recent high-profile instances of bets on war, elections and other political actions underscore the need for better regulation of prediction markets," said Donald Sherman, President and CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). "These types of event contracts present clear ethical concerns. The STOP Corrupt Bets Act clarifies and extends the law to the most dangerous types of bets in order to combat the risk of bad actors circumventing existing state and federal laws and attempting to manipulate government actions to their own advantage.”

"Prediction market platforms must be clear and consistent on what event contracts are allowed and prohibited. Allowing bets on political events, government actions, and military matters undermines public trust and invites corruption. POGO is proud to endorse Sen. Merkley and Rep. Raskin's legislation as a crucial step toward meaningful oversight," said Janice Luong, Policy Associate, Project On Government Oversight.

Full text of the STOP Corrupt Bets Act can be found here.

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Raskin Statement on Trump’s Unconstitutional Military Strike on Iran

Sat, 59 Feb 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement after President Trump launched a military campaign in Iran without Congressional approval, violating the Constitution and putting the lives of American servicemembers and civilians across the Middle East at risk in an undeclared “regime change” war:

“The Framers provided in our Constitution that Congress must declare any war that our nation enters. They knew that Kings plunged their nations into wars of arrogance, deceit, distraction, plunder and intrigue without regard to the consequences for our soldiers, our people or anyone else. Our Framers insisted that the decision to put the lives of the people at risk be put in the hands of the representatives of the people who must carefully analyze and deliberate the staggering implications of going to war.

“Desperate to distract from the spectacular failure of his discredited and illegal tariffs, spiraling inflation in groceries and housing, the accelerating and shocking disclosures from the Epstein files and his collapsing poll numbers, the president who campaigned on keeping us out of regime-change ‘forever wars’ in the Middle East, like the savage Iraq and Afghanistan wars, just launched military strikes against Iran without any congressional declaration of war.

“The Iranian regime is, of course, a vicious theocratic tyranny like the brutal government in Saudi Arabia. The world must hold these antidemocratic and illiberal regimes accountable for their documented human rights violations against their own populations, their oppression of the rights of women and their malicious support for terrorism. We must also restore and reinvigorate the international instruments of nuclear nonproliferation and arms control that have been decimated by the Trump administration’s war on international law and the rules-based international order.

“To Speaker Johnson I say what every constitutional patriot in America is saying: bring the House back into session immediately so that we can vote on Reps. Thomas Massie (KY-04) and Ro Khanna’s (CA-17) bipartisan War Powers Resolution. Defenders of the Constitution on both sides of the aisle must come together to rein in the reckless and lawless actions of the would-be king. American lives and security depend on our Constitution being respected.”

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Raskin, Subramanyam to Bring Family of Epstein Survivor, the Late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, as Guests to Trump’s State of the Union Address

Fri, 51 Feb 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) announced Sky and Amanda Roberts as their guests to President Donald Trump’s February 24 State of the Union Address. Sky and Amanda are the brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s international trafficking ring. Ms. Roberts Giuffre was instrumental in bringing Epstein’s crimes to light and inspiring fellow survivors to speak out.

Sky and Amanda Roberts will watch from the gallery above the House Floor as the president delivers his speech.

“Virginia Roberts Giuffre bravely pursued justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators of the horrific crimes committed against girls and young women by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and other upper-class abusers who took part in the pair’s vicious trafficking ring,” said Rep. Raskin. “I’m grateful Sky and Amanda Roberts accepted our offer to honor Virginia’s memory and lead a chorus of voices from across America and the world demanding truth and justice, the opposite of what Donald Trump and Pam Bondi have been working for in their shocking coverup.”

“Well before this Congressional investigation, Virginia Roberts Giuffre stood up against the rich and powerful, and gave a voice to the thousands of Epstein victims. Our investigation is about getting justice for the victims and ensuring something like this never happens again,” said Rep. Subramanyam. “The Trump administration is fighting our push for justice at every step with a cover up. It is an honor to bring Virginia Roberts Giuffre's family as our guests for the State of the Union to be a visible reminder to Trump that we're not giving in or giving up.”

On November 18, the House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Rep. Raskin led debate on the bill for House Democrats and he and Rep. Subramanyam voted in support of its passage. Since the legislation’s unanimous passage, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has remained uncooperative, failing to release the entire Epstein File. However, portions of the Epstein File the DOJ has released suggest deep ties between the president and Epstein.

Since 2019, Rep. Raskin has pursued justice for survivors of Epstein’s crimes. On February 11, Rep. Raskin, as the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, led House Democrats in forcefully questioning Attorney General Pam Bondi about her role in covering up the president’s involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

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Raskin Conducts Unannounced Oversight Visit to Baltimore ICE Facility, Exposes Overcrowded, Inhumane Conditions

Fri, 44 Feb 2026 12:00:00 EST

Baltimore, MD – Yesterday, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, conducted an unannounced congressional oversight visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office in Baltimore, Maryland. There, he saw severe overcrowding and heard detainees shout that they had been held for days in inhumane conditions.

“In Baltimore today, I witnessed people suffering in extremely inhumane conditions. In this facility, originally meant to hold people for no more than 12 hours, ICE is keeping people for days in overcrowded rooms with one toilet and no showers. No one should be forced to endure this brutal treatment for days on end,” said Rep. Raskin.

“I am convinced even further that unless Secretary Kristi Noem resigns or is fired, Chairman Jim Jordan should immediately commence House Judiciary Committee impeachment proceedings to remove her from office. Her reign of terror must come to an end.”

Rep. Raskin visited the ICE facility pursuant to a federal court order he and 12 other Members of Congress secured as part of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for blocking Members of Congress’ legal right to conduct unannounced oversight visits of ICE facilities. Since last year, DHS Secretary Noem has tried three times, in contravention of the law, to impose a policy requiring Members of Congress to provide seven days’ notice before being granted access to federal immigration detention facilities. On February 2, a federal judge ruled in favor of Rep. Raskin and the other plaintiffs, temporarily blocking Noem from obstructing their oversight capabilities.

Watch Rep. Raskin’s video message above

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Raskin Delivers More Than $16.5 Million in Federal Dollars for Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District to Fund Workforce Development, Public Safety and Infrastructure

Fri, 37 Feb 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) announced that he has secured more than $16.5 million in federal funding for projects in Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District, including significant investments in public safety, infrastructure and workforce development.

“Even at a time of chaos and polarization, we’re making major investments across Maryland’s beautiful Eighth Congressional District, from improving public safety to supporting workforce development and upgrading critical transportation and water infrastructure,” said Rep. Raskin. “At a time when Donald Trump and his team work every day to drain our democracy of resources and undermine our institutions, it’s a small but significant victory for the people of Montgomery County to see our taxpayer dollars come home to strengthen our community.

In FY26, Rep. Raskin is delivering more than $16.5 million in federal funding for 14 critical projects in Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District:

Montgomery County:

Rapid Bus Lanes in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $3,150,000 to help Montgomery County improve existing bus lanes, increasing driver awareness and compliance with the bus lanes along Georgia Avenue (MD 97) between downtown Silver Spring and Glenmont Metro. Federal funds would be used to upgrade pavement markings, painted lanes, signage and design modifications and lane transitions.
Real Time Crime Center Enhancement in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $2,100,000 to aid Montgomery County police officers with real-time intelligence to support faster, smarter decision-making in the field. This project will expand situational awareness, improve response times and increase officer and community safety.
Workforce Development and Technical Training in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $2,000,000 to aid Montgomery County in renovating and expanding an existing county-owned facility to create a fully equipped vocational training center. This adaptive reuse project will double the size of the existing facility to support vocational learning labs in key workforce fields and associated classroom and support spaces. The Workforce Development and Technical Training Center will train low- and moderate-income residents in construction, health care and other critical sectors in Montgomery County and enhance economic development.
Forensic Laboratory Capabilities Enhancement in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $1,192,000 to assist Montgomery County in acquiring important upgrades for the county’s crime laboratory. This funding will enhance forensic testing capabilities, reduce turnaround times, streamline investigations, reduce the backlog and contribute significantly to crime reduction and community safety.
Sewage Rehabilitation in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $1,092,000 to assist the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to rehabilitate sewer infrastructure in Maryland, including in Montgomery County. The project in Montgomery County, concentrated in the Northwest Terrace project site along Northwest Branch, would rehabilitate and replace approximately half a mile of sewer mains and 12 manholes, in addition to stream stabilization work. The existing sewer mains were installed in the 1950s and are in critical need of upgrades.
Low-Income Home Weatherization in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $850,000 to help Montgomery County address the significant proportion of income-eligible homes in the county deferred from the State of Maryland's income-based weatherization programs due to health and safety issues. Montgomery County's home weatherization program would repair income-qualified homes to overcome that barrier so that these homes can take full advantage of the available energy efficiency and weatherization programs. The program aims to reduce energy burdens, improve indoor air quality and prevent home disrepair.
Strategic Reforestation and Habitat Restoration in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $785,000 to help Montgomery County plant 1,000 shade trees and structurally prune 1,000 previously planted shade trees on strategically selected county-owned land. The project will reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality and increase wildlife habitat.
Security Cameras for Parking Garages in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $850,000 to assist Montgomery County with enhancing and replacing the existing safety and security-related surveillance systems in County parking garages across three Parking Lot Districts in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The funding will help the County deter crime by adding cameras and other electronic surveillance apparatus to cover previously excluded fields of view.
US-29 Critical Bike & Pedestrian Safety Improvements in Rockville: Rep. Raskin secured $500,000 to help fund Montgomery County’s bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure by connecting the Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station located along Lockwood Drive between Columbia Pike (US-15) and New Hampshire Avenue (MD-650). The project includes new and upgraded crosswalks, curb ramps and sidewalks and upgraded bicycle facilities in a densely populated and frequently walked and biked community in eastern Montgomery County.
Law Enforcement Training in Montgomery County: Rep. Raskin secured $487,000 to help nonprofit Roca Inc. train more than 450 front line staff and 1,200 police to provide more than 11,250 young people with the tools they need to disrupt community violence, remain out of prison and thrive.

Rockville:

Sewage Pipe Replacement in Rockville: Rep. Raskin secured $1,092,000 to aid the City of Rockville in replacing pipes that threaten residents with sewage backups, overflows and ground contamination. These risks can cause serious illness and pollute the local water system and soil. Installing new, reliable infrastructure will prevent costly emergencies, protect residents from harmful sewage exposure and ensure a cleaner environment for the community.
Wastewater Collection System Rehabilitation in Rockville: Rep. Raskin secured $1,092,000 to allow the City of Rockville to rehabilitate 54,196 linear feet of aging wastewater pipes in the Twinbrook neighborhood of Rockville. These pipes are in critical condition and at risk of failure, potentially leading to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and raw sewage backups into homes and businesses.
Lead Service Line Inventory in Rockville: Rep. Raskin secured $500,000 to help the City of Rockville complete its critical lead and copper water line inventory project. Through outreach to property owners and targeted excavations, this project will make Rockville’s drinking water safer.

Takoma Park:

Public Safety Dispatch Center and Crisis Response Upgrades in Takoma Park: Rep. Raskin secured $867,000 to allow the City of Takoma Park to further advance an innovative program employing two mental health counselors on a full-time basis to respond to calls involving residents in mental health crises.

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Raskin, Bonamici, Colleagues Demand Trump Abandon Plans to Shutter Kennedy Center, Cancel Over 2,200 Annual Performances, Exhibits and 400 Free Community Events

Thu, 36 Feb 2026 12:00:00 EST

Raskin, Bonamici, Colleagues: Trump continues his effort “to destroy independent art and music in our nation.”...

Raskin Kicks Off 2026 High School Congressional Art Competition

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST

Rockville, MD — Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) announced the kickoff of his annual Congressional Art Competition for Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District. This contest is a chance for MD-08’s high school students to submit an original piece of artwork to be exhibited at a showcase in Montgomery County. One winning submission will be displayed in the United States Capitol.

“I am always delighted by the outpouring of artistic talent from high school students in our district each year.” said Rep. Raskin. “As this new generation of artists emerges, I encourage all high schoolers enthusiastic about the visual arts to participate in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition.”

All high school students living in Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District are eligible and encouraged to participate. Entries must be submitted digitally via the online portal here no later than 11:59 PM on Monday, March 30, 2026. Each student is limited to one entry, which must be submitted with a completed Student Information & Release Form. The full list of submission guidelines can be found on Representative Raskin’s website here.

A panel of independent judges from the Eighth District will evaluate each entry and choose one first-place winner, whose work will hang in the U.S. Capitol the following year alongside winning pieces from other districts across America.

The winning piece, as well as a larger pool of honorees, will be displayed at VisArts (155 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD 20850) from May 7 through May 11, 2026. Select runner-up pieces from the exhibition will be displayed in Representative Raskin’s District Office in Rockville. All pieces will be featured in Representative Raskin’s virtual art gallery to recognize every artist. You can view the 2025 virtual gallery here.

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Ranking Member Raskin Statement on Impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST

Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement calling on House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan to immediately commence impeachment proceedings to remove Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem from office, or face a complete oversight and impeachment inquiry by House Democrats:

“Under the failed leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security has unleashed a shocking assault on the most basic Constitutional rights and freedoms of the American people. Masked agents at ICE and Border Patrol have brutally killed two American citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, depriving them of life and liberty with no due process of law. Far from condemning these unlawful and savage killings in cold blood, Secretary Noem immediately labeled Renée and Alex ‘domestic terrorists,’ blatantly lied about the circumstances of the shootings that took their lives, and attempted to cover-up and blockade any legitimate investigation into their deaths.

“Unless Secretary Noem resigns or is fired, the Judiciary Committee’s Chairman, Jim Jordan, should immediately commence House Judiciary Committee impeachment proceedings to remove her from office.

“If he refuses to do so, as the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, I will work with Ranking Members Thompson and Garcia of the Homeland Security and Oversight Committees to immediately launch a complete oversight and impeachment inquiry into all potential constitutional crimes committed by Secretary Noem related to these homicides as well as to other episodes of bureaucratic lawlessness and corruption that may involve treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

“Rep. Robin Kelly’s H. Res. 996, a resolution to impeach Secretary Noem, has galvanized Members of the House of Representatives to express their outrage at Secretary Noem’s conduct and has properly propelled our committees along this path.

“We must build on this resolution, through fact-finding, public hearings, and committee reports detailing all of Secretary Noem’s potential high crimes and misdemeanors and take our case to the American people. This process—which the House has followed in every successful impeachment—will afford us the best opportunity to build the most fitting and powerful case for impeachment and removal for office. It will also enable us to conduct a broad campaign to educate the American people about this sequence of oppressive governmental actions, to counter and ‘impeach’ the Administration’s persistent lies, and to develop legislative solutions to prevent any future assaults on the rights and liberties of the American people by an increasingly autocratic and out-of-control Executive Branch.

“House Republicans may indeed continue to refuse to do their constitutional duty, but we stand ready and determined to defend the rights and freedoms of all the American people.”

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Raskin to Oppose Legislation to Fund ICE’s Lawless Crusade

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST

Raskin: “Our people are outraged over indiscriminate immigration raids and masked, armed federal agents harassing innocent people on their streets.”...

One-Year into Donald Trump’s Disastrous Second Term, Raskin Blasts Lawless President’s Reign of Chaos

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement marking one year since President Donald Trump’s inauguration:

“On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to lower costs and ‘make America affordable again’ on Day One of his presidency. It’s been 365 days since Day One and families in Maryland and across the country are struggling just to stay afloat in Trump’s tariff-ravaged Marie Antoinette economy. With farm labor decimated by ICE raids, grocery prices are sky-high and the illegal Trump Tariffs are crushing small businesses and consumers. Millions of Americans can no longer afford health insurance. Government by the billionaires is systematically crushing the middle class.

“President Trump sacked hundreds of thousands of federal workers across America— researchers finding cures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meteorologists working with farmers or studying climate change at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, front-line health care workers at the VA. These firings drain our government of irreplaceable knowledge and experience and send a wrecking ball through the public services Americans rely upon, including the public infrastructure we need to get us through the next pandemic or disaster.

“Trump is making our communities less safe, dispatching masked federal agents onto our streets where they intimidate, arrest, detain and shoot American citizens. This campaign of fear and intimidation has even shut down schools for days in communities where parents reasonably fear sending their children out of the house. Democrats, Republicans and independents alike have condemned ICE’s authoritarian reign of masked terror. Agents hired ostensibly to enforce our laws are instead breaking them and stomping on our Constitution.

“The president persecutes his political enemies and pardons his disciples. Instead of backing the blue, Trump backed the coup when he signed a mass pardon for the rampaging rioters who assaulted the Capitol on January 6, 2021. These insurrectionists beat police officers and violently assaulted our Capitol with no regard for the public safety consequences—all with Trump’s blessing. Since the attack on the Capitol, 33 of these rioters have since gone on to commit other felony crimes, including possession of child pornography, rape, conspiracy to commit murder of FBI agents, kidnaping, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, reckless homicide and so many more.

“This year, Donald Trump also reprised his role as the failing, wannabe casino tycoon, transforming America in his image. He laid out plans for a Marie Antoinette ballroom at the White House, bankrolled by billionaires and big corporations seeking policy favors. He illegally slapped graffiti (his tiresome name) on the Congressionally created and defined Kennedy Center. Rather than even thinking of any policies to get Americans health care or housing or lower prices, he’s busying himself with gaudy home improvement projects, renovating White House bathrooms and outfitting the Oval Office and the Rose Garden with repulsive gold décor.

“Americans want an end to this chaos and terror in American communities now. We want affordable health care for our people, not terrifying ICE raids that sweep up U.S. citizens and make everyone less safe. We need government to be focused on bringing prices down, not a president building an illegal 400-million-dollar ballroom while he and his family pocket billions of dollars from corrupt business deals. The Constitution is being trashed on a daily basis and Trump has turned the government into an instrument of relentless private self-enrichment and unlimited public corruption.

“While some big law firms and other institutions have shamefully caved to this lawless president, I am filled with hope every day when I see millions of Americans bravely resist this tyranny through peaceful mass movements. Acting in defiant solidarity, we will insist on accountability and rebuild our institutions and strong democracy for all the American people.”

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Raskin Statement on H.R. 7006

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 7006, the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act:

"President Trump and MAGA in Congress have taken a wrecking ball to America’s foreign policy and diplomatic standing, destroying our humanitarian work all over the world and turning our government into his personal Gangster State.

"Although I am grateful to my heroic Democratic colleagues on the Appropriations Committee who have done everything in their power to strip the most toxic poison pills from this legislation, the resulting bill effectively codifies the wholesale lawless destruction of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), whose systematic demolition has already led to thousands of preventable deaths around the world. Many of my constituents who had dedicated their lives to delivering humanitarian aid have lost their careers and their livelihoods to this wrecking ball, and I cannot bring myself to vote for the final destruction of USAID.

"In all, H.R. 7006 cuts $9.3 billion across all of our national security, state department and foreign assistance programs and $3.2 billion in humanitarian assistance, a gift of self-destruction for our values which benefits only our authoritarian adversaries like Russia and North Korea while punishing our allies and the most vulnerable people in the world.

"Meantime, here at home, H.R. 7006 codifies $1.1 billion in cuts to the Internal Revenue Service, including an outrageous 8% cut to tax enforcement to allow more billionaires to escape paying the taxes they owe, leaving middle-class Americans again to pick up the tab.

"H.R. 7006 makes our world, and therefore, our nation and our people less safe.

"I voted against it with the fervent hope—and commitment—that we will put Congress and the government back soon on a course of common sense and common good."

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