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 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, 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

Rep. Raskin’s June in Photos

Investigating the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol

In June, my colleagues and I on the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held a series of public hearings, the first since our initial hearing last summer, when we heard eyewitness testimony from four brave officers who defended our Capitol on January 6. Our committee spent the past year analyzing documents, reviewing tips and interviewing witnesses, including top Trump campaign and White House officials.

• We revealed that despite being told repeatedly by numerous senior aides and experts that he had lost, Donald Trump continued to push the Big Lie that the election was stolen.
• We outlined tensions between the president and his vice president as he urged Mike Pence to reject electoral votes unilaterally and kickstart a contingent election, where the House of Representatives could elect Trump the winner.
• We chronicled the Trump White House pressure campaign on state election officials across the country and the brave constitutional patriots who stopped it in its tracks.
• We exposed the former president’s failed coup at the Department of Justice and his attempts to weaponize our nation’s top law enforcement to overturn the democratic will of the people.
• We met with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who testified that Donald Trump knew there were weapons at his Ellipse rally on January 6 and wanted to march with these armed supporters to the Capitol.

Please know that you can watch all past hearings on the January 6th Select Committee’s YouTube channel at this link.

Passing Historic Gun Safety Legislation

Celebrating passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on the steps of the Capitol

Following the mass shooting catastrophes in Buffalo and Uvalde, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I was proud to vote for this legislation, which represents the first major congressional gun safety action in decades. The legislation will help states invest in ‘red flag’ programs to keep guns away from people who present a risk to themselves or our community, combat illegal ‘straw’ purchasing of guns, move toward closing the boyfriend loophole and provide additional funding for schools, along with mental health and community programs. After we passed the legislation in Congress, President Biden signed the measure into law! I encourage you to read more about the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act here.

These recent massacres have once again shown America as an extreme global outlier in gun violence and death. Compared with citizens in other high-income countries, Americans are 26 times more likely to die by gun violence. The House Oversight Committee held a hearing on this pressing problem and invited gun violence survivors, local leaders, law enforcement and policy experts to testify. Uvalde pediatrician Roy Guerrero and Zeneta Everhart, mother of a victim who was killed in the Buffalo shooting, testified to the incalculable emotional toll that gun violence has wrought in their communities. Our hearing focused on the urgent need to pass commonsense gun safety measures supported by a surpassing majority of Americans, such as banning assault weapons and strengthening background check requirements on gun purchases. You can watch some of my remarks from this House Oversight Committee hearing on gun violence here.

In the House Judiciary Committee, we also took action against the rising tide of gun violence, advancing H.R. 6538, the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022 and H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act. The bipartisan Active Shooter Alert Act would allow law enforcement agencies to alert the public to active shooter threats, in a system similar to the AMBER alert program. The Protecting Our Kids Act would raise the legal age to purchase a gun to 21 and give law enforcement the tools they need to hold firearms traffickers accountable. 

I was proud to support both bills in committee, and speak on the House Floor about the dubious claim that the Second Amendment prevents reasonable gun safety regulation.

Celebrating Pride Month

In a strong pluralist democracy, we reject homophobia, transphobia and bigotry in all its forms and celebrate the remarkable contributions of the LGBTQI+ community. This Pride Month, I was delighted to feature Rockville dad Mark Eckstein as a Local Hero and celebrate some of the remarkable LGBTQI+ advocacy and activism within our community. As Montgomery County Council of PTAs’ LGBTQ Subcommittee Chair, Mark works with Montgomery County Public Schools leadership to champion inclusion. Mark reminded me that despite the hardships our LGBTQI+ friends and neighbors face, there are still hard-won, joyous victories to celebrate. You can watch my full conversation with Mark here.

This month, I also voted to pass H.R. 4176, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, legislation that I reintroduced with my colleagues, which would take steps to better count our LGBTQI+ friends and neighbors in voluntary federal surveys. As a member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I know that when our data accurately reflects the diversity across our country, we can ensure our policies best serve the American people. You can read more about the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act here.

Announcing a New Helicopter Noise Complaint System

I want to spread the word about a new tool from the Eastern Region Helicopter Council to file helicopter noise complaints for the national capital area, including within our district. You can access the submission form at this link.

Securing Federal Funding for Maryland

My Maryland Congressional Delegation colleagues and I continually advocate for robust federal investment in our state, and this past month, I was proud to announce several new federal funding initiatives that will help communities across our district grow, including investment in AmeriCorps.

$7,050,429 in federal funding from both the fiscal year 2022 Appropriations package and the American Rescue Plan will support AmeriCorps’ service and volunteerism efforts across our state. I was proud to vote for both pieces of legislation in Congress, and I’ll continue working to ensure Maryland gets the funds needed for critical programs like AmeriCorps. To read more about this federal funding for AmeriCorps, click here.

Protecting Abortion Access

I was dismayed to see the Supreme Court rule in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization last month to overturn nearly a half-century of precedent and revoke the right to abortion.

Fortunately, abortion is and will remain legal in states across the country, including in Maryland. Following this disastrous ruling, I promptly introduced H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, with Representatives Lizzie Fletcher of Texas and Marilyn Strickland of Washington, which protects the right to travel for abortion care. Specifically, the bill will prohibit any person acting under state law, including private parties, from punishing Americans traveling to access reproductive health care, which is protected by the constitutional right to travel. You can read more about the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which passed the House in July, here.

Condemning the ‘Great Replacement’ Myth

At a press conference promoting our resolution to condemn the ‘Great Replacement’ myth

After an armed white supremacist opened fire in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo this May, I co-led a resolution with Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York condemning the racist ‘Great Replacement’ myth that inspired the massacre and has animated recent white supremacist violence across the country. You can read more about our historic condemnation of ‘Great Replacement Theory’ here.

Making Technology Safe for our Children

Every year, technology and social media platforms play a larger role in our children’s lives. American families deserve to know the effects technology and digital media have on their children and teenagers’ physical and mental health. I’m thrilled to report that in June, my bipartisan Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act passed the House of Representatives as part of a larger legislative package focused on mental health, H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022. You can read more about the CAMRA Act at my website.

On the Floor: Lowering Food and Fuel Costs

In June, the House took action to confront rising food and fuel costs to relieve Marylanders at the grocery store and at the pump. I proudly voted for H.R. 7606, the bipartisan Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, which aims to remediate supply chain issues, increase competition in the meat industry and provide price stability for consumers, lower costs facing farmers and more. 

Honoring the Local Heroes of the Eighth District

My first local hero of June, Marcine Goodloe, has served our community in the fire and rescue service for several decades. Through her noble volunteerism and leadership, Marcine has modeled unwavering public service. You can watch my conversation with Marcine here.

Jim Stowe, Director of Montgomery County’s Office of Human Rights, guides our community in pursuit of fairness and inclusion. As we observed Juneteenth this past month, this Local Hero called upon us to reckon with our history and pursue social progress. Click here to watch my full discussion with Jim.

Our final Local Hero of June is Officer Harry Dunn of the United States Capitol Police, who, as you may know, bravely defended the Congress from insurrection on January 6. You can watch my full conversation with Officer Dunn here.

With USCP Officer Harry Dunn in 2021