   
Dear Neighbor:
I wanted to take a moment to share an update about how my staff and I have been working for the people of Maryland's Eighth District. It remains a surpassing and singular honor to serve as your Representative in Congress.
As always, I encourage all of my constituents across the Eighth District to connect with me on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads. 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
Rep. Raskin's March in Photos
Standing With Baltimore After the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse
Meeting with the Coast Guard and federal, state and local leaders at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore
Shock and trauma reverberated across Maryland and then throughout America following the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster and collapse in Baltimore. In a catastrophic accident in the early morning hours of March 26, a cargo ship struck a major support pillar of the bridge, and the bridge gave way to the colossal impact. We are devastated that the accident killed six Marylanders who were working the overnight shift, repairing potholes on the bridge, at the time of the collapse. We're sending deepest condolences to their families and friends as they grieve this incalculable loss.
We all owe our profound gratitude to the first responders on the scene, including the Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local emergency personnel, who acted swiftly and bravely, closing the bridge before the collision—no doubt saving many, many lives.
Heading to the impact and wreckage site with the Coast Guard and federal, state and local leaders
In the aftermath of the collapse, I joined Governor Moore, Baltimore Mayor Scott, members of our Maryland congressional delegation and other federal, state and local leaders for a stakeholder briefing and a Coast Guard visit to the site (pictured above). The scene was staggering and shocking. As we recover, we're committed to honoring the Marylanders we lost, rebuilding the bridge, reopening and reviving the port and supporting the people of Baltimore.
Team Maryland, including federal, state and local government partners, immediately mobilized to secure federal relief and recovery resources following the bridge collapse. President Biden has directed his administration to "move heaven and earth" to support Baltimore and the greater region with the full force of the federal government. Within hours of receiving our state's request for emergency relief funds, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration announced $60 million in emergency relief funds to support Maryland's initial relief and recovery efforts. The Small Business Administration began providing low-interest disaster loans to eligible businesses. Biden-Harris Administration taskforces started addressing potential supply chain disruptions. The U.S. Department of Labor set out to provide relief for displaced workers and announced that Maryland will receive up to $25 million in emergency dislocated worker grant funding. The first $3.5 million installment in federal funds will provide affected workers with temporary employment and skills training. Finally, our bipartisan congressional delegation is united and ready to act to provide further funding through Congress when necessary to finish the job. In the words of Governor Moore, we are Maryland tough and Baltimore strong.
For the most up-to-date information on the Key Bridge response, please visit: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/.
Highlighting Reproductive Freedom at the State of the Union
With reproductive health advocate Becca O'Connor at my Capitol Hill office
It was an honor to host Rebecca O'Connor, a local advocate with remarkable expertise in reproductive health care policy, as my guest at President Biden's State of the Union address. As the Director of the nonpartisan American Society for Reproductive Medicine's Center for Policy and Leadership and the proud mom of two IVF daughters, Becca shared her professional and personal passion for defending reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right on a segment of Local Hero. During his address, President Biden delivered a stirring call to Congress to pass legislation that would restore and protect abortion rights in federal law and guard reproductive freedom nationwide.
Preventing a Government Shutdown and Investing in MD-08
I voted twice in March to keep the federal government open. Both 'minibus' appropriations packages contained important provisions, like pay increases for service members as well as essential funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), child care, and education programs like Head Start. The legislation also reflected the kind of shortcomings often involved in bipartisan compromise.
Notably, I was able to secure federal funding for 15 crucial community projects in Maryland's Eighth District. The projects total more than $12 million and include significant investments in child care, mental health crisis intervention, physical infrastructure, public safety and so much more. You may read more about our community projects funded at my website.
I also secured $15 million in federal funding for my Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act, which directs the NIH to lead a research program on technology and social media's effects on infants, children and adolescents. This new research will empower parents, caregivers, educators and policymakers to improve the wellbeing of our kids. You can read more about funding for the CAMRA Act on my website.
Promoting Plant-Based Food Options in Federal Facilities
During National Nutrition Month in March, I led 54 of my colleagues in encouraging President Biden to make strong and rapid progress on providing a plant-based meal option everywhere our federal government serves a meal, from museums to national parks, and federal agency cafeterias to military bases. Studies show that nearly 95% of Americans don't get enough fiber in their diets! Plant-based diets offer plentiful health benefits for our people; a plant-based diet can support our immune system, lower inflammation and help lower the risks of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. In addition to these health benefits, plant-based foods also help reduce our carbon footprint, as livestock agriculture is a major contributor of greenhouse gases. You can read more about this effort to promote plant-based food options in federal facilities here.
Celebrating 200 Local Heroes
In April 2020, I began recognizing Local Heroes: neighbors helping neighbors through the trauma of COVID-19. I'm thrilled to share that we've now recognized more than 200 Local Heroes across domains of our social and civic life. Each Local Hero powerfully reflects the community spirit that makes Maryland's Eighth District so extraordinary. Check out my social media for a video compilation featuring some of our Local Heroes.
Lovers of food and humanitarian aid alike will know my 200th Local Hero well: Chef José Andrés, renowned humanitarian, culinary icon and resident of Maryland's Eighth District. In an enlightening conversation, Chef Andrés and I discussed his humanitarian food organization, World Central Kitchen (WCK), and their experiences feeding hungry people across the world—including recently responding to the crises in Ukraine and Gaza.
I recognized Chef Andrés as a Local Hero and met with him virtually shortly before the devastating and shocking news that seven humanitarian food aid workers on his WCK team were killed in Gaza. I'm sending my love and sympathy to the victims' families and friends, and my solidarity to the WCK community. These workers, committed to feeding the hungry in the face of peril, will be remembered for their compassion and bravery. I called for an analysis of how this happened and continue to push for a political process to end the cycle of terrorism, extremism and war that has cost the lives of so many Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Recognizing the Local Heroes of Maryland's Eighth District
From Peace Corps volunteer to Peace Corps Director, Local Hero Carol Spahn has promoted international solidarity and peace through an impressive career. Thanks for letting us recognize your remarkable service, and for celebrating the Peace Corps' 63rd anniversary with us, Director Spahn!
Aspiring birders and ornithology enthusiasts in MoCo, have you heard of BirdCalls? Local Hero David Schulman created this free, innovative public art and education outpost from a derelict payphone in Takoma Park, and now, neighbors and visitors can hear local birdsong at the press of a button!
Local Hero Carrie Hyde-Michaels, a longtime volunteer with Community Tax Aid, demystifies taxes for Montgomery County residents every tax season. Carrie and countless other CTA volunteers donate their time to ensure low-income taxpayers throughout the DC Metropolitan Region have access to high-quality, free tax help they can depend on.
Protecting Vulnerable Stateless "Citizens of Nowhere"
In March, Maryland Senator Ben Cardin and I reintroduced our Stateless Protection Act, which would protect the more than 200,000 individuals in the United States who are stateless or at risk of statelessness. Stateless people have no nationality or citizenship in any country of the world, often due to events well outside of their control. There are many situations that can render a person stateless, including wars, social upheaval and conflict; racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination and persecution; the collapse or fragmentation of this or that failed state; or even just arbitrary misfortune like being born the child of a diplomat and getting caught up in a bureaucratic tangle. Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough, who leads the advocacy organization United Stateless, fled Soviet Ukraine with her parents when she was too young to qualify for a passport. Years later, Karina is "stateless," left without the protection of Ukraine or any other government. Our bicameral legislation establishes legal protections, permanent residency status and a pathway to citizenship for eligible stateless individuals living in the U.S. This bill helps realize America's promise as an "asylum to humanity," as Tom Paine put it, by ensuring that these vulnerable people and their families aren't left on the margins of our society.
Leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee
Serving as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability is a great honor and daily challenge. In March I led efforts by Committee Democrats to:
Constituent Corner: Sharing IRS Information and Resources
It's tax season again! At the beginning of this month, I convened a virtual information session with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) on the 2024 tax season. We went over the new clean energy tax credits that Congress passed in the Inflation Reduction Act—which represent thousands of dollars in available savings for upgrading your home energy efficiency. You can find out more about these tax credits at this resource hub from the Treasury Department. We also hosted officials from the IRS and TAS to provide an overview of updates, tips and resources for the current 2024 tax filing season. You can watch the information session here. The deadline to file your taxes or request an extension is April 15, 2024.
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