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 team will be in touch.  

All best wishes,

Jamie Raskin

Rep. Raskin’s April in Photos

Exposing and Refuting Climate Disinformation

As droughts, wildfires and tropical storms portend the devastating effects of climate change across America, House Oversight Committee and Senate Budget Committee Democrats have been investigating Big Oil’s culpability in this crisis. We just released a report outlining the findings from our multi-year investigation, which provided further evidence that oil companies like Exxon and Shell knew for decades that their emissions fueled climate change. Instead of changing their business model and embracing renewables—or sounding the alarm for humanity—these companies embarked on a campaign of denial, disinformation and doublespeak. Internal company documents demonstrate that company commitments to the Paris Agreement and endorsements of renewable energy were merely a public relations exercise to protect Big Oil’s bottom line. You can watch my testimony at the related Senate Budget Committee hearing here and find our full report here.

Funding Community Projects Across Maryland’s Eighth District 

I’m thrilled to report that I recently secured $12,742,531 in federal funding for 15 major community projects in MD-08! These projects make critical investments in our public safety, economic development, physical infrastructure, environmental quality and general well-being. I encourage you to check out my recent community project funding newsletter for more detailed information on each of these projects—from Vision Zero advancements to protect pedestrians and transit riders to increased funding for mental health crisis intervention.

Holding the Supreme Court Accountable

On the steps of the Supreme Court introducing the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act 

Intrepid reporting has exposed the powerful networks of money and influence corrupting our Supreme Court. Billionaire right-wing donors have poured enormous sums of money to reshape the Court, and conservative justices have cozied up to special interests—even those with business before the Court! This sharply contrasts with the strict ethical standards we enforce throughout the rest of our federal judiciary, making the highest court in the land the court with the weakest ethical standards. In April, I introduced bicameral legislation to change that. Our Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act would create an Inspector General to investigate violations of the voluntary Supreme Court Code of Conduct, which currently has no enforcement mechanism. You can read more about the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act at my website.

Protecting Democracy from Disinformation

With academic and historian Timothy Snyder after a House Oversight Committee hearing 

In April, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing examining foreign disinformation, and as Ranking Member, I led Democrats in highlighting how autocracies like China and Russia have sought to undermine American democracy through pervasive disinformation and propaganda campaigns. 

My colleagues and I emphasized that we all lose when our political dialogue falls prey to disinformation propagated by autocratic foreign states and adversaries. I was thrilled that Yale professor and historian Timothy Snyder, pictured above, was able to join us and testify in passionate support of democracy in America and about how support for Ukraine is crucial for deterring threats posed by China. You can watch my opening statement from our House Oversight Committee hearing here.

Supporting Mental Health, Child Development, Consumer Fairness, and Other Priorities in the Appropriations Process

This April, I wrote to the House Appropriations Committee advocating to advance Eighth District legislative priorities, including pediatric mental health, research on youth technology use, and scam and fraud prevention. 
I was proud to request federal funding for Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) programs, which empower pediatricians and school counselors in Maryland as well as across the country to provide high-quality mental health care by offering training and support from a network of psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists. Strong federal funding is needed to ensure PMHCA programs can respond to the youth mental health emergency.

I also led my colleagues in pressing for federal funding to allow the National Institutes of Health to continue advancing research into the health and developmental effects of children’s technology and digital media use. Smartphones, digital devices and social media have become constant fixtures in young people’s lives, and this critical research will empower families, educators and policymakers with the information we need to make informed decisions about youth technology use. 

I led my colleagues in an effort to combat scams and frauds, which are at an all-time high, with consumers reporting more than $10 billion lost to fraud last year. I’m encouraging the House Appropriations Committee to provide resources to improve coordination between law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels to catch the criminals perpetrating these devastating scams.

Supporting the People of Baltimore After the Key Bridge Collapse

When Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, President Biden, his administration, and the Maryland congressional delegation pledged to support relief and recovery with the full force of the federal government. In April, our entire delegation introduced bicameral, bipartisan legislation to allow the federal government to fully fund the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bill also reiterates current law requiring that any funds recovered from insurance or liable parties be used to reimburse the government’s expenses. Team Maryland has been steadfastly focused on relief and recovery, and this new legislation will ensure those efforts keep moving forward full steam ahead. Our delegation also announced an early installment of $3.5 million in Department of Labor Emergency National Dislocated Worker Grant funds to create temporary clean up and recovery jobs for workers impacted by the catastrophe.

Maryland and America owe a debt of gratitude to first responders like Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Cover, who sprang to action in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. This Local Hero's bravery reminds us that, in the words of Governor Moore, we are “Maryland tough, Baltimore strong.”

Recognizing the Local Heroes of the Eighth District 

Anjolaoluwa Adeleke, Erol Kalayoglu, Zachary Carter and Ian Ha are the 2024 “Heads Up, Phones Down” contest winners in Montgomery County—and our Local Heroes! The Montgomery County Department of Transportation, which organized the contest, invited students to create videos encouraging young people to avoid distractions from cell phones while driving and walking. Anjolaoluwa took home the grand prize for the individual category, and Erol, Zachary and Ian were the group first-place winners for their inventive videos promoting vehicle and pedestrian safety. Check out their winning entries here.

Through innovative, engaging, and even tactile programming, MoCo school librarians Lisa Hack and Melissa King have earned statewide recognition as finalists for Maryland School Librarian of the Year. Our community thanks these Local Heroes for their devotion to our children’s education.

In a remarkable demonstration of community service and volunteership, Local Hero Justine Wood has donated 600+ hours of her time to local mental health nonprofit EveryMind. Staffing the 988 Crisis Lifeline, Justine’s compassionate service supports Marylanders in crisis or experiencing hardship and connects them to the resources they need.

Spreading the Word About US Service Academy Nominations

#MD08 Service Academy Nominee and Air Force Academy Cadet Jack Bobo

It's an honor and a privilege to nominate exceptional students in Maryland’s Eighth District to our US Service Academies, including the Military Academy in West Point, the Naval Academy in Annapolis and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Interested students: please note that applications are now live and will remain open until October 1, 2024. You can access the application and learn more about the Service Academy nominations process at my website.

Raising Awareness of Social Security Scams 

I want to make constituents aware of a disturbing new pattern of scams targeting seniors and other Social Security beneficiaries. Social Security scams are designed by fraudsters to mislead victims into making payments to fix alleged Social Security Number (SSN) problems. These scammers typically trick potential victims into disclosing personal or financial information by pretending that they are from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in phone calls, texts, or emails claiming that there is a problem with an individual’s SSN or SSA account. The scammer’s caller ID may even be “spoofed” to look like a legitimate government number. Individuals should always verify that the email address of an individual claiming to be from SSA is not suspicious. Currently, Social Security sends emails from [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and echosign.com. Scammers may also send fake documents on fraudulent SSA letterhead to pressure people into complying with demands for information or money. Know that SSA will never call or email individuals to:  

• Report suspension of a SSN; 
• Demand an immediate payment; 
• Threaten arrest; 
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; 
• Request gift cards or cash; or  
  Promise an SSA benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.

SSA employees do contact individuals by phone for legitimate purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for an SSA benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or have requested a call from the agency. If there is a problem with an individual’s SSN or record, SSA will typically send a letter by U.S. mail, not email.

If you believe that you may have fallen victim to an SSA scam, you should contact the SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at https://oig.ssa.gov/report/ to report the scam and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.identitytheft.gov/ or 1-877-438-4338 to protect your personal information.

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