Dear Neighbor:

I wanted to take a moment to share a brief update about how my staff and I have been working for the people of the 8th District. It remains a surpassing honor to serve as your Representative in Congress.

As always, I encourage all 8th District residents to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you need help with a federal agency and want to request my assistance, please complete the online request form here, and my District Office will be in touch.

All Best,

Jamie Raskin

Celebrating Black History Month

In February, we recognize the myriad and diverse contributions of the African American community to the Eighth District, our state and our nation. Let’s carry the spirit of Black History Month beyond February and continue celebrating Black American history and culture throughout the year.

Across the Eighth District, local leaders champion progress and inclusion throughout public and private sectors of our community life. Montgomery County's African American Health Program (AAHP) is one such effort, seeking to end health disparities and to foster wellness within the MoCo African American community. This past month, I hosted an informative presentation with AAHP staff members to discuss the program's successful initiatives and projects. Their commitment to inclusive public health is inspiring. You can watch my forum here.

I was proud to honor an impressive slate of Black-owned businesses in our district with Congressional recognition this past month. My district staff enjoyed visiting small businesses like Motherland Kitchen & Spices in Frederick, Tuck’s Service Center in Union Bridge and Black Viking Brewing at Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring.

Members of my district staff visit local Black-owned businesses across Maryland’s Eighth District

Announcing the 2022 Congressional Art Competition

“Promise To Keep You Safe,” the 2021 MD-08 winner of the Congressional Art Competition

Please help me spread the word: the Congressional Art Competition is back! This annual competition is a district-wide visual art contest that invites high school artists to submit original artwork for Congressional recognition in the United States Capitol. I’m looking for the next generation of Michelangelos and Van Goghs right here in Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District!

Judges from the Eighth District will evaluate entries and award one first-place winner, whose work will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year, alongside pieces from across the nation. Additionally, all entries will also earn a place in my virtual art gallery. You can view the 2021 virtual gallery here.

High school students have until 5pm on April 11, 2022 to submit their original visual artwork to the competition. Full submission and entry details are available on my website here.

Saluting My U.S. Service Academy Nominees

As a Member of Congress, I have the privilege of nominating exceptional young Marylanders to our nation’s service academies. The opportunity for a fully funded education and the honor of attending a service academy make these nominations highly competitive, and each year, I look forward to seeing the commitment to service and country well-represented across our district.

This past month, I celebrated my Class of 2026 nominees with a virtual meeting and presentation. You can watch a video of our celebration and view a slide show of my nominees’ exceptional accomplishments and credentials on my website.

Advocating for Postal Reform

Last month, the Government Operations Subcommittee held a hearing in Baltimore on mail delays and U.S. Postal Service performance issues. I raised the concerns I most frequently hear from my constituents, including missing mail, misdelivered mail, delivery delays, postal theft and more. Americans rely on the Postal Service to deliver paychecks, prescriptions, tax returns and other important correspondence. Congress must ensure that the Postal Service returns to reliable, prompt, and efficient mail delivery service. You can find my remarks in committee here.

To those ends, I’m delighted that Congress is delivering meaningful Postal Service reform to restore and preserve this American institution for years to come. I was proud to vote for H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act when it passed the House this past month. This bipartisan legislation will increase performance transparency, strengthen the financial footing of USPS and help provide reliable mail service for the Marylanders who depend upon it. I encourage you to read more here.

Calling for Climate Action

Record wildfires in the West, record drought in the Midwest, record flooding in the East and rampant tropical storms in the South should call Congress to take strong, decisive climate action. This past month, my colleagues and I on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform heard from climate experts and environmental advocates about the urgent need for fossil fuel companies to fundamentally alter their operations and reduce emissions. I’m committed to holding Big Oil accountable and opposing climate disinformation. You can watch part of my exchange with Dr. Michael E. Mann, a leading scholar on atmospheric science at the link.

Passing Legislation

In addition to advancing historic postal reform, I’m delighted to report that Congress moved forward on several other essential initiatives this past month: cultivating American innovation and competition, protecting domestic and international LGBTQ+ rights, criminalizing lynching as a federal hate crime and cracking down on forced arbitration.

To begin February, the House passed the America COMPETES Act. This comprehensive package makes transformational new investments in research, innovation and American manufacturing. I know American consumers have felt rippling effects of supply chain disruptions over the past few months, so I’m eager to report that this legislation will take steps to resolve domestic supply chain issues and kick-start U.S. production of semiconductor chips, providing American-made solutions to shortages and building our innovation infrastructure of the future.

I’m also proud to share that America COMPETES includes three amendments I cosponsored. These provisions range from establishing cybersecurity guidance for small businesses, nonprofits and local governments, to reducing sexual harassment in science fields, to protecting Chinese students, academics and scientists from discrimination. I encourage you to read more about America COMPETES here. 

I’m alarmed by escalating worldwide trends of violence against the LGBTQI+ community and glad that this past month, the House took steps to affirm America’s commitment to upholding human rights and dignity. I proudly voted for H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act, which builds on existing human rights related authorities, like the Global Magnitsky Act, to strengthen protections for LGBTQI+ people abroad and hold human rights violators accountable across the globe. You can read more about the Global Respect Act here.

At the close of February, the House also passed legislation that would, for the first time in American history, make lynching a federal hate crime. The bill is named in honor of 14-year-old Chicago teenager Emmett Till, whose 1955 Mississippi murder exposed some of our nation’s most insidious violent racism. I was proud to vote for this hard-won legislation, which represents the determination of generations of devoted civil rights advocates. You can read more about the near-unanimous House passage of this bill here.

Did you know that millions of Americans currently work under contracts forcing them into lopsided arbitration proceedings with their employers if they are sexually harassed or assaulted at work? Across our nation, forced arbitration subverts the Constitutional right to jury trial and fosters a culture of workplace exploitation. This past month, both houses of Congress passed legislation voiding these agreements that silence American workers. I was proud to vote for this bill and support this historic effort, and I'm delighted to report that President Biden recently signed the measure into law. I encourage you to read more about the bill here and watch some of my remarks on the House floor and in the House Judiciary Committee.

Delivering Federal Funding to Maryland

Robust federal investment in Maryland ensures our local and state partners have the resources they need to best serve our people. This February, I was proud to announce federal funding initiatives that will build our electric vehicle infrastructure and bolster our state’s outdoor recreation.

Accessible electric vehicle (EV) use will help Maryland usher in our sustainable transportation future. I’m proud to report that Maryland received over $9 million in federal funding this past month to build charging stations across our state, helping lay the groundwork for mainstream, accessible EV use throughout the state and our nation.

The Maryland Democratic congressional delegation also announced nearly $15 million to revitalize our state’s outdoor recreation. Funding through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program will invest in our wildlife conservation, sportfish restoration and general outdoor recreation, encouraging Marylanders to get outside and savor our state’s natural beauty.

Demanding Humane Living Conditions for our Service Members

I was alarmed by recent reporting of poor and unsafe living conditions in barracks for junior enlisted service members at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, the site of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and I are demanding answers from the Navy and urging immediate action to improve the quality of life for the service members living and working on the base. You can find our letter and more information here.

Honoring the Legacy of Thomas Paine

Despite his catalytic role in founding our nation and constitutional republic, ‘Forgotten Founder’ Thomas Paine remains too often on the dark outskirts of American history. He championed reason, democracy and liberty with a moral clarity so far ahead of its time that his work still challenges us today to build a more democratic society.

This past month, I was eager to introduce legislation to build a memorial to this luminary patriot in our nation’s capital. The monument, already pre-funded with a flood of voluntary contributions and pledges from private citizens, will be a powerful and dramatic addition to the symbolic life of Washington, D.C. I encourage you to read more about my efforts here.

Recognizing the Local Heroes of the Eighth District

Each week, I look forward to recognizing a member of our MD-08 community as a Local Hero. What began as a series recognizing the efforts of Marylanders protecting Marylanders during the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded to feature a wide range of MD-08 heroes who strengthen our district in myriad ways—to celebrate Black History Month, I was proud to recognize members of the African American community in MD-08 for their extraordinary contributions to our district.

Our first local hero, Dr. Winston Anderson, is the co-founder of the Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery. Not only does he bring African American history and culture to life at the museum, he is a celebrated biomedical scientist in his own right. You can watch our full conversation here.

Throughout post-Civil War Montgomery County, African Americans formed tight-knit communities like Sugarland, located just south of Poolesville. Our second local hero of February, Suzanne Johnson, leads the Sugarland Ethno-History Project to preserve and restore this essential piece of Montgomery County history and spread the word to the greater public. Click here for our full discussion.

I also featured three-time MoCo executive, revered law professor and pioneering leader Ike Leggett as a February local hero. Ike spoke with me about his rise to leadership in Montgomery County during a dynamic period of burgeoning change and social progress. Be sure to check out our full conversation here.

Our final local hero of Black History Month broke barriers as the first woman to be named superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools. Dr. Monifa McKnight offers enthusiasm and strategy in the face of the challenges our educational community faces. You can watch our full conversation here.