When a new Congress delivers its gavel Friday, Jamie Raskin will recast himself in the role that defined his tenure on Capitol Hill: resisting Donald Trump.
Weeks before Trump’s inauguration, the Maryland congressman will become the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee. In a letter to colleagues, he promised that the panel would serve as “the headquarters of Congress’s opposition to authoritarianism and MAGA’s campaign to dismantle our constitutional system and the rule of law as we know it.” know”.
Raskin has already been at the forefront of resistance to Trump. He gained national prominence by prosecuting Trump’s second impeachment trial and serving on a committee that sought to hold the former and future president accountable for the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
His latest turn in the spotlight comes as Democrats face pressure to shake up their leadership following scanning electoral defeats in November. Many colleagues consider Raskin, a 62-year-old constitutional law scholar broad national follow-upas an intellectual, aggressive and articulate leader, equipped for the political battles of the coming Trump era.
“He covers all the angles, I think, as far as his experience on the legal side, on the policy side, on the managerial side, on the messaging side,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, a member of the Judiciary Committee. “He has everything you could ask for in a leader.”
Raskin, who represents part of Montgomery County, said he had not considered play a leading role on the judicial committee until his colleagues urged him to do so, weeks after a Trump victory that plunged his party into a bitter reckoning.
Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York had led Democrats on the panel since 2017, but many questioned whether the 77-year-old was up to the task of taking on Trump and Republican majorities in Congress.
“The fundamental reason,” Raskin said of his candidacy, “is that we are in the fight of our lives.”
Raskin was officially chosen for his new position in mid-December, winning a unanimous vote from the House Democratic Caucus after Nadler withdrew.
“I have great respect for Jerry Nadler,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a former House member. “I think members of the House Democratic Caucus shared that respect as well. But they saw Jamie Raskin as someone who could better communicate the Democrats’ views.”
The Raskin takeover is another example of a recent trend: Democrats have begun to prioritize talent rather than seniority for key leadership positions, said Breanna Gray, an assistant professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland who researches Congress.
In the most notable case, President Joe Biden in July ceded the Democratic presidential nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris over concerns about her age. And in 2022, octogenarian Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Stény Hoyer and James Clyburn resigned from the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives – although Pelosi, a former speaker, continues to wield considerable influence.
Still, Gray said, “Democrats are handing over the reins from the old guard to this new generation – a new guard of political representation.”
Raskin most recently served as the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. He used the roost to challenge the Republican Party’s efforts to impeach and investigate Biden — and in doing so, fought with close Trump allies leading these efforts. This experience, he said, amounted to a “daily political struggle”.
Raskin has shown himself to be “one of the most capable and intelligent committee leaders this Congress has today,” said Rep. Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, a member of the Oversight Committee.
“Having been in this role for the last two years, fighting some good battles and a good fight, Jamie has been tempered, he has been sharpened and he has become even wiser about some of the things to come,” Mfume said.
Raskin was a natural choice to move to the Judiciary Committee, several Democrats said, because of his extensive legal experience, which includes more than 25 years as a constitutional law professor. The committee’s responsibilities include overseeing the president, courts and law enforcement and ensuring they follow the law.
Under Trump, the Judiciary Committee will likely become a key battleground in fights over immigration, abortion and control of presidential power.
“Especially at a time when our democracy is under threat and the new administration threatens to weaponize the Justice Department, it will be very important to have Jamie Raskin as a ranking member of this committee to hold people’s feet to the fire and demand accountability,” Van Hollen said.
His colleagues also view Raskin as a skilled communicator, known for combining his intellect with cut off the mindsarcasm and humor. They say it is particularly important to promote effective messengers in the Trump era, where pugnacity and rhetorical flair often overshadow substantive policy positions.
On the Judiciary Committee, Raskin will face Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a hawkish Trump loyalist who chairs the committee.
“Jamie can make (an argument) funny, he can make it sharp and he can make it biting,” said Brian Frosha former Maryland attorney general who filed dozens of lawsuits against the first Trump administration. “He has the ability to make the subject interesting, as well as educate and persuade people. »
Scheduled to begin his fifth term in the House on Friday, Raskin has been at the center of major political moments while facing profound personal trials.
In December 2020, her 25-year-old son Tommy committed suicide. The January 6 attacks took place the day after his funeral. Soon, Raskin led efforts to impeach Trump for his role in the riots.
Two years later, Raskin was diagnosed with lymphomamarking his second battle with cancer. He received treatment as he began his senior role on the oversight committee. In April 2023, he announced that his cancer was on the mend. discount.
“The fact that he was able to persevere and demonstrate his ability to move forward, even in very adverse personal circumstances, is a testament to his commitment to our democracy and our country,” Van Hollen said.
Raskin said what he has survived in recent years has strengthened his commitment to his principles and deepened his fighting spirit.
“We’ve been through some tough times in our family…but I know there are always people who are going through tougher times than us,” Raskin said. “So we don’t have the luxury of pulling out at this point.” It’s not just American democracy that is at stake. It’s democracy and freedom everywhere.