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 is a surpassing honor to continue serving 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

Honoring Local Heroes of the Eighth District

Honoring a community member of the Eighth District as a local hero is the highlight of my week. Though my Local Heroes series started as a way to recognize the efforts of Marylanders helping Marylanders during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has expanded to feature a wide range of MD-08 heroes who strengthen our district in myriad ways. To watch a compilation tribute to some of our previous Local Heroes, click here.

To commemorate Labor Day, I featured Executive Director of the Labor Heritage Foundation Elise Bryant as my first local hero of September. Elise is a union organizer, musician and artist, and I hope you’ll watch our full conversation here.

In September, we observed the somber 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11. Our second local hero of the month, Diane Pitts, was one of the heroic volunteers who answered the call that day. A firefighter with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, Diane spent an entire week providing relief to the Pentagon after the attacks. To watch our full conversation, click here.

Standing Up for Reproductive Freedom

On September 24, I was proud to vote to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act through the U.S. House of Representatives. Although the Supreme Court cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey guarantee the constitutional right of a woman to seek an abortion in consultation with her physician, state legislatures like Texas’ have passed legislation severely restricting reproductive freedom. The Women’s Health Protection Act would guarantee equal access to constitutionally protected medical choices anywhere in the United States, curbing the state and local assault on reproductive rights. I spoke on the House Floor and in multiple committees against the Texas law. You can watch my remarks here, here and here.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to recognize the diversity and contributions of the Hispanic community in our district and beyond. Our celebration continues into October, when we’ll honor young Latinx students across our district for academic and leadership excellence and recognize more local heroes within the Hispanic community. Our first local hero of Hispanic Heritage Month was Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, the founding director of the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gloria has championed census participation and COVID prevention on campus and beyond. Click here to watch our full conversation.

I also featured Richard Montgomery High School principal Alicia Morales Deeny as a local hero this past month. Ms. Deeny, Montgomery County’s first Latina high school principal, has engaged and inspired students through language and music studies in her 22 years with Montgomery County Public Schools. Our full conversation can be found here.

Delivering Federal Funding to Maryland

My Maryland congressional delegation colleagues and I will continue to advocate for robust federal investment in our state. This September, we were proud to announce several funding initiatives that will help Maryland thrive.

I was proud to vote for the American Rescue Plan this past spring, which continues to deliver needed relief to Marylanders and families across the country. This past month, the Maryland congressional delegation and I announced $1,048,475 in funding from the American Rescue Plan to assist educational institutions across Maryland in their COVID-19 economic recovery. To learn more, click here.

Additionally, our state received more than $18.2 million in COVID-19 relief funding to increase access to mental health services and substance use disorder treatment programs across the state. To read more, click here.

Holding January 6 Insurrectionists Accountable

For the past few months, I’ve had the honor of serving on the U.S. House’s Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. This past month, our committee subpoenaed several Trump administration officials and rally organizers in pursuit of understanding the origins and execution of the January attack. In response to arguments of executive privilege to shield those potentially involved in the insurrection, I’ve argued that, following the Supreme Court’s criteria laid out in United States v. Nixon, the events of January 6 merit disclosure of documents, as the insurrection posed both a threat to national security and an understanding of its origins lies squarely in the public’s interest. My committee colleagues and I remain committed to finding answers about the insurrection.

Commemorating Constitution Day

Constitution Day, celebrated on September 17, marks the 1787 signing of the United States Constitution. To celebrate, I was the guest speaker at St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Center for the Study of Democracy. During my remarks, I highlighted two of my colleagues who I consider true Constitutional patriots—Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Liz Cheney (R-WY). I commended Rep. Lee, who cast the lone vote against the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force that precipitated the war in Afghanistan, for her moral clarity and political courage in that moment and beyond, and Rep. Cheney, who serves with me on the House Select Committee on Jan. 6, for her allegiance to her country and her oath of office. It is an honor to serve alongside these women in Congress.

Celebrating Small Businesses in Maryland’s Eighth

In honor of National Small Business Week, I wanted to visit local businesses in our district. Small businesses make our community special, and I encourage everyone to continue supporting small businesses in our district beyond National Small Business Week.

Advocating for Green Infrastructure

For decades, fossil fuel companies funded campaigns spreading misinformation about global warming and climate change. Yet each year, our government spends billions of dollars giving these companies tax breaks. As Congress considers legislation to update our nation’s infrastructure, we have the opportunity to take decisive action that will help us confront the climate crisis. I’m joining my colleagues in advocating for the end of fossil fuel subsidies in our infrastructure legislation.

Honoring Our Nation’s Veterans

In 1944, Lieutenant Robert Banker saved Frederick County resident Guy Whidden's life on a World War II battlefield in Holland. You may remember Guy and his story from my Local Heroes series this past July. Guy has made it his “final mission” to have Lt. Banker officially recognized by the U.S. Army for his bravery on the front lines.

I’m humbled to have had the opportunity to help Guy appeal to the Army and expedite a posthumous award for Lt. Banker. On the 77th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, the battle where Lt. Banker saved Guy’s life, I joined the Whidden family and Guy to see that mission realized, as the Army honored Lt. Banker with a posthumous Bronze Star “V."

Guy is 98 years old, and he has displayed an unwavering commitment to seeing Lt. Banker’s heroism recognized. You can watch my July conversation with Guy on my Local Heroes series here.