Jamie Raskin

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) on Monday claimed the first round of the two-step contest to lead Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the next Congress, besting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to win the recommendation of the Democrats' influential Steering and Policy Committee. The 34-27 vote lends a boost to Connolly, the more [...]

The youth movement among House Democrats? Don't believe the hype. Even as a few Democratic committee heads are being pushed aside for younger replacements, the party is elevating some of its most senior members to lead virtually every major committee in the next Congress. On Wednesday, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee confirmed the ranking [...]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is facing strong headwinds – including opposition from House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) – as she tries to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.Why it matters: Senior Democrats say that while Ocasio-Cortez is seen as the favorite over Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the race is still in play.The fight comes as several septuagenarian committee ranking members are facing desperate battles against – or yielding to – younger challengers."Many members are concerned about [the] precedent these races are setting," one senior House Democrat told Axios.What we're hearing: Pelosi has been approaching colleagues urging them to back Connolly over Ocasio-Cortez, according to two House Democrats with direct knowledge of her outreach.Connolly, 74, and Ocasio-Cortez, 35, are facing off to replace current Oversight Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).Punchbowl News was first to report Pelosi's advocacy for Connolly. A Pelosi spokesperson did not offer a comment to Axios.State of play: One House Democrats familiar with Ocasio-Cortez's whip count said she "has pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee with her."That is something that House Democrats' Steering Committee – which meets Tuesday to make its recommendations – will take seriously, the lawmaker said.Another House Democrat said their "gut tells me she gets it" and that Connolly's cancer diagnosis last month is "working against him."Still, lawmakers stressed that it is not a firm lock, noting that the full Democratic caucus has to vote on whether to approve the Steering Committee's suggestions.Zoom out: Several younger Democrats have used the threat of the incoming Trump administration to topple some of the party's oldest ranking members.Raskin, 61, succeeded in getting Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), 74, to step down from his post.So did Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), 60, with Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), 76, though he now faces a challenge from 45-year-old Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).Agriculture Committee ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.), 79, is seen as likely to fall to one of his two challengers: Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), 72, or Angie Craig (D-Minn.), 52.Flashback: Pelosi told Axios last week that she was supporting "some" insurgent challenges against incumbent ranking members.She has been making calls on behalf of Costa, her fellow Californian, two House Democrats familiar with the matter told Axios.

Last week, Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif) introduced federal anti-SLAPP legislation, in a bid to protect journalists, whistleblowers, and individual internet users from those who use lawsuits as an intimidation tactic. SLAPP suits—formally, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation—are designed to prevent people from exercising their free speech. A common example is a person [...]

"What else can we do? This is not a game of volleyball or badminton where we're going to quit the game or something," the Maryland lawmaker said.

Republicans are sucking up to Donald Trump in the best way they know how: by being spineless cowards. The convicted felon has promised that when he takes office in January, he will pardon Jan. 6 insurrectionists and called for lawmakers who investigated the attempted coup to be punished. And GOP senators and Congress members, most of whom were hunkered down in the Capitol on that terrible day, are lining up to roll over for him. “As we found from Hunter Biden, the president’s pardon authority is pretty extensive. That’s obviously a decision he’ll have to make,” incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Hill about Trump’s promised pardons.While he plans to let the rioters off scot-free, Trump recently told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that former Rep. Liz Cheney and other members of the Jan. 6 committee should “go to jail.” “I don’t have a comment really on those statements,” Thune said.Thune’s timorous stance on pardoning the rioters was parroted by fellow Republican senators.

“The American people are hungry for change," said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), one of a handful of next-generation Democrats gunning for top committee posts.

House Democrats say that they’ll skip the election protests they’ve staged on Jan. 6 in past presidential cycles, four years after supporters of President-elect Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to interrupt the certification of the 2020 election results. Democrats typically have used the formal certification of GOP presidential wins to air objections to [...]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is expected to enter the race for ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, four House Democrats with knowledge of her plans told Axios.Why it matters: The 35-year-old lawmaker would easily be House Democrats' youngest committee leader at a time when some of their oldest are facing insurgent challenges."It's going to happen soon," said one of the House Democrats.A senior House Democrat said "she has talked to" colleagues saying she is running.Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff Mike Casca told Axios: "When there's an announcement to make, she'll make it."State of play: Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) is already running for the role, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also expressing interest in a run as well.Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) told Axios on Wednesday he is "very happy" as the ranking member on the Oversight select subcommittee on China.The seat is being vacated by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) who is running unopposed to replace House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) after Nadler withdrew his bid for reelection.What she's saying: Ocasio-Cortez said Tuesday she is "interested" in the role and has had "a lot of outreach from colleagues" about a run.She told reporters on Wednesday morning that she has "spoken with many members of our caucus, including several members of leadership" about the race.Ocasio-Cortez also laid out her vision for the panel, saying she wants to use it as a "communicative platform for public education" and a vehicle for "real legislative work and investigatory work."Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more context.

Rep. Jerry Nadler says that he will be stepping down as the top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee next year.

Nadler, who has been in Congress since 1992, has served as the committee's chairman and ranking member for the past seven years.

'Another influential House Democrat is stepping down'

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Axios on Wednesday that she is supporting "some" insurgent efforts by House Democrats to topple older committee ranking members.Why it matters: Pelosi encouraged Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to challenge House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Axios previously reported.That culminated in Nadler's withdrawal from the race on Wednesday.What she's saying: Asked about Nadler's withdrawal in a brief interview at the Capitol, Pelosi, who was holding a copy of Nadler's letter announcing his withdrawal, told Axios, "I just got his letter, I haven't finished reading it.""But he knows the territory. He's been a great leader and he's greatly appreciated. And now he's made a decision which we respect," she said.Asked whether she is supporting challenges to sitting ranking members, Pelosi said "some," adding, "I don't know all of them."Zoom out: In addition to Nadler, two other committee ranking members have faced challenges from relatively younger colleagues.Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), 76, said Monday he will not seek to stay on as ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee in the face of an ouster attempt from Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), 60.Agriculture Committee ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.), 79, is facing a challenge from Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), 72, and Angie Craig (D-Minn.), 52.

Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler dropped his bid to remain the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee after Rep. Jamie Raskin said he would challenge him for the job.

Nadler's move clears the way for Raskin to be the influential committee's top Democrat.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is ceding his position as top Democrat on the powerful Judiciary Committee amid a tough challenge from Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), — a stunning shift on a powerful committee that’s sure to play a considerable role in the oversight of the second Trump administration. In a letter to colleagues, Nadler said [...]

Donald Trump’s transition team won’t give up its cash grab, even if it gets in the way of managing a functioning government. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has been unable to make formal contact with the department because the Trump transition team has refused for months to sign off on an ethics agreement.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the Senate, opposed the provisions civil liberties groups came out against when the House considered the bill.

Before an about-face, Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do."

Republicans on Capitol Hill love Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy but it's looking like they're a little jealous of DOGE.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) members are breaking ranks and trying to shove aside older colleagues for top committee spots.Why it matters: The impending Trump administration has given some Democrats a foothold to argue that the party can't manage another two years under gerontocracy."There is growing anxiousness among younger members to get their chance," one senior House Democrat told Axios."Some of them need to be put out to pasture," a ranking House Democrat said of their party's committee leaders.The challengers aren't young either, but they're all going after Democratic committee leadership members in their late 70s.Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), 60, is challenging Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), 76, as ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. Grijalva announced a cancer diagnosis in April and said he won't seek reelection.Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), 72, is trying to unseat Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), 79, as the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. Scott's health has long been a concern and he has been absent the last two weeks.Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), 61, will announce Monday whether he runs to unseat Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), 77, as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Axios first reported.What they're saying: "I think the question we should all be asking ourselves is, 'Do we have people who are ready to roll up their sleeves and fight like hell?'" Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told Axios."In many of those instances you have the people already, and in others some people may not feel they do," she added.A senior House Democrat told Axios that "members are beginning to think that 2026 could be a 'change' year and want to get ahead of it."Said another House Democrat: "That feeling is almost universal from all colleagues I talk to, not just younger members."Between the lines: Some Democrats see this as a moment to strike on House GOP-style term limits for committee leaders."We may be seeing some shift in the norm of whether or not that gets you in hot water," said Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), a champion of term limits.Foster said Dems recognized the "tremendous boost when Kamala Harris took over for Joe Biden" as the Democratic presidential nominee.Zoom out: One generational challenge has already failed, with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) losing 152 to 59 in her bid to unseat Democratic Policy and Communications Committee chair Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.).Many lawmakers cast that race as unrepresentative of the trend, noting that Dingell spent months longer than Crockett locking down support.27-year-old Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) was elected as a DPCC co-chair, becoming the first Gen Z congressional leader with an explicit pitch of modernizing the party's communications strategy.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will announce Monday whether he is challenging Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Should he jump in, it would be the latest in a series of challenges against septuagenarian committee leaders by relatively younger Democrats vowing to put up a more vigorous fight against the Trump administration.Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said Wednesday he is running to unseat Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) as the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee.Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) formally announced Thursday morning that he is running to unseat Agriculture Committee chair David Scott (D-Ga.).What we're hearing: Raskin has not given any public indication he plans to run, and he is fond of his work on the Oversight Committee, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.Two House Democrats told Axios that Raskin, the 61-year-old current Oversight Committee ranking member, has discussed the idea with colleagues in recent days."I spoke to Jamie and he hadn't made a decision," said one of the lawmakers on Thursday morning.Zoom in: Raskin, a former star Jan. 6 committee member, has faced a strong push to run from colleagues, the source familiar with the matter said.Nadler has been seen by some Democrats as ill-suited to lead the key panel into the Trump administration.Raskin's thinking was first reported by Punchbowl News.Yes, but: Nadler, 77, wouldn't go down without a fight. "I pledge to stand as a bulwark against the MAGA Majority's dangerous agenda," he said in a letter to colleagues on Wednesday announcing his bid for reelection.He added: "As a New Yorker, I have stood up to Donald Trump my entire career."Zoom out: Raskin was a Judiciary member in the 117th Congress, but stepped off last year to serve as House Oversight Committee ranking member while undergoing cancer treatment.Raskin's cancer has since gone into remission, and he has been seen as one of the more energetic Democratic committee leaders over the last two years.Raskin will make his intentions clear in a letter to fellow Democrats, Axios is told.Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional context.

A Capitol Police officer takes a photo as a Marine helicopter carrying Barack and Michelle Obama lifts off from the East Plaza of the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2017, following Donald Trump's swearing-in as president. The Bidens are slated to take a similar ride in two months. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The Supreme Court has limited use of recess appointments, but GOP lawmakers could go along with Trump’s plan.

Progressives in Congress are urging party leaders to use their two remaining months in power to erect barriers to Trump’s agenda.The post Squad Goals: Democrats Must Use Lame-Duck Power to Fight Trump Now appeared first on The Intercept.

A Portland High School student's recent op-ed saddened me greatly. There are some of us out there who care deeply.

BALTIMORE—Democrat April McClain Delaney narrowly won a U.S. House seat in Maryland’s most competitive congressional races. The state’s sprawling 6th Congressional District covers a wide swath of rural Maryland as well as more affluent liberal suburbs of Washington. The close race wasn’t called until Saturday, four days after Election Day. McClain Delaney, who declared victory [...]

Democrat April McClain Delaney has narrowly won a U.S. House seat in Maryland’s most competitive congressional races

From immigration to retaliation, Trump’s return to the White House has promised widespread changes to the way America is seen on the world stage.

A viral post shared on X claims Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin purportedly said Democrats won’t certify the election if 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump wins. 🚨BREAKING: Jamie Raskin said, “Let folks cast their votes for Trump if that’s their choice. But mark my words, we won’t be certifying the election. He [...]

The final doors are being knocked, ads are blaring and candidates are making a last pitch to voters. Even with the high-energy final push, the races for control of Congress are at a stalemate, essentially a toss-up for the House and fight to the finish for the Senate.

From the commentary, "

Top Democrats are asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump's son-in-law two weeks before the election.

Democratic lawmakers said the president has several options short of new legislation to help lower housing prices.

In an election where the future of reproductive rights is on the ballot in Maryland and elsewhere across the country, the state’s all-male congressional delegation stands to gain an influx of women

Reps. Jamie Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez want Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to answer some questions. On Friday, the top two ranking Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Roberts over “renewed concern about Justice Samuel Alito’s apparent refusal to abide by the Supreme Court’s Code of Conduct or constitutional and statutory guarantees that cases be heard by impartial judges.”

Senate Judiciary ranking member Lindsey Graham and Chair Richard J. Durbin will have a lot to consider in the lame-duck session. A press shield proposal may not make the list.

'Trump's going to win the state by 20 points'

Rep. Jamie Raskin rolled out an effort to counter the Supreme Court's recent decision on presidential immunity.

The symbolic pledge is a rebuke of the former president’s authoritarian tendencies and the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity decision.

A Heritage Foundation fellow said Project 2025 leaders’ personnel recommendations “are likely to carry influence” with a future Trump administration.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is not ruling out kicking certain House Republicans off of committees if Democrats retake the House majority.Why it matters: It's something the Democratic leader hinted at after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) appointed Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to the House Intelligence Committee."To be continued," Jeffries replied cryptically when asked during a press conference Thursday whether he would kick Perry and Jackson off the Intelligence panel and whether Democrats may exclude other Republicans from committees. Johnson's appointment of Perry and Jackson to Intel prompted bipartisan backlash due to the FBI's seizure of Perry's phone and allegations of workplace misconduct against Jackson from his time as White House physician.The intrigue: One senior House Democrat told Axios they expect Jeffries to — at a minimum — boot Jackson and Perry from the Intelligence panel.In June, Jeffries called the picks "frightening" and said, "If the American people give us the opportunity to govern with the gavels in November, we can assure you that a different decision would be made."As speaker, Jeffries would have the ability to unilaterally reject any Republican picks for the Intelligence Committee.Zoom out: Any move to kick Republicans off committees would be a continuation of a tit for tat that has roiled the last two congressional terms.The Democratic-led House voted in 2021 to strip all committee assignments from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).When Republicans took control in 2023, then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) booted Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) from Intel, with the House also voting to kick Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs Committee.Yes, but: Some Democrats, while infuriated at the bomb throwers on their committees, would prefer to pump the breaks on the back-and-forth dynamic.House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) lamented Greene's chaotic influence on his panel in an interview with Axios, but said he is "not interested in" kicking her off."Republicans kind of set a lower precedent, lower bar this Congress," Raskin argued. "I'm hoping we can elevate the quality of our political discourse a little bit."

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Democrats' top investigator in the House, already has a pretty clear idea of what probes his committee will pursue if his party retakes the House majority, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Committee leaders such as Raskin are likely to have significant power to pursue their agendas if House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Md.) becomes speaker, senior Democratic sources tell Axios.Raskin is particularly well positioned as his panel, the House Oversight Committee, has gradually become the House's go-to investigative body.Driving the news: Raskin told Axios in an interview that Democrats would "probably have a pretty good start based on everything we've been asking the Republicans to look into, that they refuse to do."That includes hearings on longstanding policy issues such as gun control, climate change and Supreme Court ethics, with the goal of persuading the public of the merits of policy action, he said.Raskin said he also would likely pursue Trump-focused investigations, including the business dealings of former President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump's own business operations when he was president, to help craft anti-corruption legislation.Zoom out: Jeffries is known as a delegator who gives broad leeway to his leadership team, putting Raskin in position to have considerable authority.One House Democrat familiar with Jeffries' leadership style predicted the Democratic leader would be "engaged" with his committee leads, but "not like a top-down, 'Here's what you could do'" way."He would strategize with them. I don't get the sense that he would dictate, but he would also help them along," the lawmaker said.Sources stressed, however, that Jeffries has not been closely engaged with planning for a potential Democratic majority and is instead squarely focused on winning back the House in November.Zoom in: A former member of the Jan. 6 select committee, Raskin said he wants to use that probe as a "role model" and get his panel out of the business of chaotic hearings and aimless, scattershot investigations."One of the things I loved about my experience on the Jan. 6 committee was that we elevated the mission generally above just the little soap boxes that each member gets," he said.Raskin contrasted that with the "food fights segmented into five-minute blocs" that have plagued hearings by the GOP-led House Oversight panel during this Congress.Other cues Raskin said he wants to take from the Jan. 6 panel is delegating to rank-and-file Democrats to lead certain hearings and incorporating video and expert testimony to "educate the public in a deeper way about a social problem."Reality check: Many of these plans of this will depend on whether Trump or Vice President Harris wins the White House in November. If Harris wins, Raskin will have plenty of time to pursue his goals.But "if Donald Trump were somehow to find his way back into the White House" while Democrats win control of the House, "then ... we would obviously be forced to spend a lot of our time just trying to defend the rule of law," Raskin said.Raskin also cautioned that he is not "counting any chickens before they hatch" when it comes to Democrats winning the House majority.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) faced bipartisan congressional scrutiny Tuesday as he testified before the House on his early handling of the pandemic, with particular attention paid to how his office managed nursing homes. Cuomo’s presence at the hearing was preceded by a subpoena issued by subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), a damaging [...]

Meanwhile, members of Congress are asking for details about the incident, which was first reported by NPR.

Kristen Welker anchors Meet the Press NOW live from the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) discusses the historic nature of Vice President Kamala Harris' candidacy. NBC News Senior Political Reporter Alex Seitz-Wald reports on how pro-Palestine protesters are responding to being being denied a speaking slot at the DNC. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) responds to former President Donald Trump's comments that his strategy is not geared toward

The DNC presents Fox News Channel with a delicate challenge — how to cover a party suddenly enthused about its election chances when much of its audience has a different political view.

Arab Americans and other critics of Biden's near-total support for the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian region had sought to address convention delegates.