Current House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) dropped out of the election to keep his post, so Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) will become the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
Here is Rep. Nadler’s letter to his colleagues:
News: Rep. JERRY NADLER will be stepping down from race to be the top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee, making the difficult decision after speaking with staff and Rep. Jamie Raskin who announced his bid for the job. Hereâs the letter he sent to colleagues, obtained by AP pic.twitter.com/Tgswdt8Yzu
— Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) December 4, 2024
Rep. Raskin posted, “Jerry Nadler is an extraordinary lawyer, patriot and public servant. His dogged defense of civil rights and civil liberties is a great inspiration to our people. I am honored and humbled to have his support in the battles ahead.”
The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is expected to be on the frontlines of the defense against Trump. Raskin will have nothing to do with the confirmation process for Trump’s nominees as the Advise and Consent role is limited to the Senate, but he will be the top investigator of Trump’s Department of Justice and all of the agencies that fall within the DOJ’s purview.
Raskin was the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee where he led the pushback against committee chair James Comer’s investigation of President Biden. Raskin had Comer tied up in knots and made the Kentucky Republican look inept.
This is a big promotion for Rep. Raskin that all represents the leadership of the pushback against Trump getting the younger as the Judiciary Democrats will go from the leadership of the nearly 80 year old Nadler to Raskin who is in his sixties.
Raskin is also a constitutional expert and will perfectly situated to lead the House Democratic pushback against Trump.
Having Jamie Raskin in a more prominent position is an encouraging step for Democrats as they organize against the incoming administration.
