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,

Jamie Raskin

Getting Foreign Money Out of Our Elections

This month, I reintroduced the Get Foreign Money Out of U.S. Elections Act with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) that would close the loophole created by the Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate spending in elections.

The 2010 ruling allowed foreign entities that own portions of major U.S. companies to funnel money in our elections through unlimited contributions. Our legislation solves this anti-democratic danger by preventing corporations that are at least 5% foreign-owned from engaging in federal election spending. Autocrats and oligarchs from across the globe have no business undermining the voices of citizens. Check out this video from the Center for American Progress, Free Speech for People, Senator Whitehouse and me for more.

Standing up for Freedom of Speech at Home and Abroad

I recently led my colleagues to call on the U.S. to demand the release of all wrongfully detained human rights advocates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has intensified its prosecution of its own citizens. In some cases, Saudi officials have imposed lengthy prison sentences on individuals simply for posting on social media in support of basic human rights.

In a letter to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, we raised our profound concerns over the trampling of free expression in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we highlighted the urgent need for U.S. officials to call for the immediate release of all wrongfully detained individuals.

Defending Human Rights Around the World

This month, I was proud to announce my sponsorship of Hong Kong political prisoner Jimmy Lai’s case through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project. Mr. Lai founded the largest Chinese language pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, Apple Daily. He is currently being persecuted for publishing critiques of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and engaging in pro-democracy activism. This sham case has violated Mr. Lai’s rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial.

This is not the first time Mr. Lai has been unjustly punished for being critical of the CCP. He was arrested multiple times for defending democracy and fundamental human rights through his work as a publisher. Mr. Lai, who is 76 years old, has been held in solitary confinement since December 2020. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

I have partnered with Freedom House to shed light on Mr. Lai’s courageous efforts to hold authoritarians accountable. I will always stand up for those who defend democracy and speak truth to power. Check out this article in Voice of America on my sponsorship of Mr. Lai for more.

Leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee

As the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, I led my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to examine Secret Service readiness and preparation in the wake of the attempted assassination of Former President Trump in July.

Political violence in any form is unacceptable. It’s not how we resolve disputes in a democracy. I immediately condemned this brutal attack and aggressively sought answers from the Secret Service, also joining Republican Chairman James Comer of Kentucky to make a bipartisan statement denouncing political violence in our politics. We also appeared together to discuss our joint efforts live on Fox News. I will continue to demand a full investigation that ensures future Secret Service protectees are safe, and I will continue to seek proactive, commonsense gun violence solutions to protect all Americans from mass shootings like this one.

In July, I also led Committee Democrats in examining anticompetitive industry policies that increase prescription drug costs, hurt local pharmacies, and hinder patient care in a hearing with the nation’s three largest Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs): Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and OptumRx. Committee Democrats explained how consolidation and lack of transparency in the PBM industry incentivize PBMs to put profits ahead of people’s lives.

Oversight Democrats also continued to hold Big Oil accountable and create a cleaner planet for future generations. In a hearing with EPA Administrator Michael Regan, committee members highlighted the work of the Biden-Harris Administration and EPA to fight the climate crisis, reduce pollution and safeguard community health.

Affirming No One is Above the Law

I joined Rep. Joe Morelle in introducing an amendment to the Constitution reversing the Supreme Court’s recent decision to grant presidents immunity from prosecution. In free societies, no one—not even presidents—should be above the law.

The Amendment would hold Republican and Democratic presidents to the same standards applied to all other Americans, because we must do everything in our power to reverse the Supreme Court’s outrageous decision which undid more than two centuries of constitutional law in America.

Nothing has been more sacred to American constitutional jurisprudence than the idea that no one is above the law. Congress should do everything we can in a statutory way to repair the damage, but ultimately this will require some kind of constitutional amendment to block a fundamental change in American constitutional and political culture.

Defending Reproductive Freedom from Anti-Choice Extremists

Last month, I joined as a proud original cosponsor of Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint’s bill to repeal specific provisions in federal law that anti-choice extremists could abuse to institute a nationwide abortion ban.

The Stop Comstock Act repeals provisions of a set of laws from the 1800s that ban the mailing or shipping of obscene, lewd, or indecent matter, things, or devices that could misguidedly be applied today to ban the shipment of medication abortion pills, other materials used in abortion procedures, and contraceptives. Additionally, modern application of the Comstock laws could create unintended consequences on the shipping of medical equipment for unrelated procedures.

I remain resolute in defense of a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions in consultation with her doctor and without the interference of opportunistic anti-choice politicians.

Recognizing the Local Heroes of the Eighth District

America owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health and a national public health leader and expert. Not only has Dr. Fauci’s substantive research and expertise laid the groundwork for some of the most successful global public health campaigns in history, fighting HIV, Ebola and COVID-19, he has made his mark as a towering figure of public trust and comfort as our people navigate the fear and uncertainty of infectious disease outbreaks.

I was delighted to feature the founder, executive director and visionary of Bethesda's KID Museum, Cara Lesser, as a Local Hero in July, and she shared with us all what the museum is up to this summer encouraging our kids to think creatively and solve the world’s biggest challenges.

Dominique Dawes is a world-class Olympic gymnast and a dynamic small business owner—and this Local Hero is beloved in our community for her awesome teaching philosophy, using gymnastics to develop children’s social and emotional skills and self-esteem. I was proud to recognize her as a Local Hero and congratulate her on a new sculpture installation honoring her legacy at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center.

Local Hero Sanjana Quasem of Montgomery County's Asian American Health Initiative utilizes creative programming and outreach to promote public health in MoCo’s diverse Asian American community. This MD-08 Local Hero is making our community healthier and happier this Minority Mental Health Month.

Constituent Corner: Join the American Climate Corps!

Calling all young people in Maryland’s beautiful eighth congressional district: the American Climate Corps is a meaningful opportunity to make a real difference in the fight against climate change. I was proud to call for the creation of this federal program, which will put tens of thousands of young people to work in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience jobs. This paid position fosters the next generation of leaders to tackle the climate crisis. Help build a clean energy and climate-resilient future in our own community and across America by completing an application at acc.gov.

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