When the new Congress takes office on Friday, Jamie Raskin will recast himself in the role that defined his tenure on Capitol Hill: resisting Donald Trump.
Weeks before President Trump’s inauguration, the Maryland congressman will become the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee. In a letter to colleagues, he said the committee would serve as “the headquarters for Congressional opposition to authoritarianism and MAGA’s campaign to dismantle the constitutional system and the rule of law as we know them.” I swore.
Mr. Raskin has been at the forefront of the resistance movement against Mr. Trump. He rose to national prominence as a member of the committee that prosecuted Trump’s second impeachment trial and held former and future presidents accountable for the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
His recent rise to prominence comes as the Democratic Party faces pressure to shake up its leadership following a landslide defeat in November’s election. Many colleagues see Mr. Raskin, a 62-year-old constitutional scholar with a wide national following, as an intelligent, aggressive and articulate leader poised for the next Trump-era political fight.
“I think he covers all angles in terms of legal, political, management and messaging experience,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, a member of the Judiciary Committee. Ta. “He has everything you want in a leader.”
Mr. Raskin, who represents part of Montgomery County, said he had not considered running for the top spot on the Judiciary Committee until colleagues encouraged him to do so, weeks after Mr. Trump’s victory sent the party into a tailspin. spoke.
New York Rep. Jerry Nadler has led the Democratic Party on the committee since 2017, but some have questioned whether the 77-year-old lawmaker is up to the task of confronting President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress. There were many.
“The basic rationale was that we were in a fight for our lives,” Raskin said of seeking the position.
Mr. Raskin was officially selected for the new post in mid-December with a unanimous vote from the House Democratic Caucus after Mr. Nadler withdrew from consideration.
“I have a lot of respect for Jerry Nadler,” said former Congressman and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen. “I think the House Democratic Caucus shared that respect. But they saw Jamie Raskin as someone who could better convey the Democratic voice.”
The Raskin acquisition is another example of a recent trend. Democrats are starting to prioritize talent over seniority in key leadership positions, said Brianna Gray, an assistant government professor and political science professor at the University of Maryland who studies Congress.
In the most notable case, President Joe Biden ceded the Democratic presidential nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris in July amid concerns about her age. And in 2022, octogenarians Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and James Clyburn will step down from House Democratic leadership, although Pelosi, the former House speaker, continues to wield significant influence.
Still, Gray said, “Democrats are shifting the reins from the old gatekeepers to this new generation, the new gatekeepers of political representation.”
Mr. Raskin most recently served as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. He used his perch to challenge Republican efforts to impeach and investigate Biden, sparring with Trump’s closest allies who are leading those efforts. The experience amounted to “everyday political struggle,” he said.
Rep. Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, a member of the oversight committee, said Mr. Raskin has shown himself to be “one of the most capable and intelligent committee leaders in Congress at this time.”
“Having been in that role for the past two years and fighting the good fight, fighting the good fight has trained and sharpened Jamie and made him smarter for some of the things that are coming up,” Mfume said.
Several Democrats said Raskin’s strong legal background, including more than 25 years as a constitutional law professor, made him a natural choice to slide onto the Judiciary Committee. The commission’s responsibilities include overseeing the president, courts, and law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with the law.
Under the Trump administration, the Judiciary Committee is likely to become a key battleground for fights over immigration, abortion and checks on presidential power.
“Especially at a time when our democracy is under threat and the incoming administration threatens to weaponize the Department of Justice, we need Jamie Raskin on the committee to keep our people on their toes and weaponize the Department of Justice.” “It’s going to be very important to have people at the top of their ranks who demand accountability,” Van Hollen said.
Colleagues also described Raskin as a skilled communicator, known for his combination of intelligence with sharp wit, sarcasm and humor. They argue that promoting effective messengers is especially important in the Trump era, when belligerence and rhetoric often overshadow substantive policy stances.
On the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Raskin will face off against the committee’s chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a pugnacious Trump supporter.
Former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, who filed dozens of lawsuits against the first Trump administration, said, “Jamie can make it funny, he can make it sharp, he can make it hard-hitting.” It can also be done,” he said. “He has the ability to not only make the subject matter interesting, but also educate and persuade people.”
Raskin, who is scheduled to begin his fifth term in the House of Commons on Friday, has been at the center of a major political moment even as he faces significant personal challenges.
In December 2020, his 25-year-old son Tommy died by suicide. The Jan. 6 attack occurred the day after the funeral. Soon, Raskin was leading the effort to impeach Trump for his role in the riot.
Two years later, Raskin was diagnosed with lymphoma, marking her second battle with cancer. He underwent treatment as he began his high-profile role on the oversight committee. In April 2023, he announced that his cancer was in remission.
“His demonstrated ability to persevere and move forward, even in the face of great personal odds, is a testament to his dedication to our democracy and our country,” Van Hollen said.
Raskin said his survival over the past few years has strengthened his commitment to his principles and deepened his fighting spirit.
“Our family has been through some difficult times…but I know there are always others who are going through even tougher, more difficult times than we are,” Raskin said. said. “So we don’t have the luxury of simply opting out at this point. It’s not just American democracy that’s at stake. There’s democracy and freedom everywhere.”
