Jamie Raskin

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Justice must comply with the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by refusing to administratively settle the billions of dollars in legal claims filed against the United States by President Donald Trump.

in committee

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that President Donald Trump, his Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, and all Federal officials must comply with the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by immediately turning over to the Department of the Treasury any payments received from the United Arab Emirates or any other foreign state and divest from all business interests linked to foreign governments.

in committee

To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3570 Olney Laytonsville Road in Olney, Maryland, as the "Edward L. Ramsey Olney Post Office Building".

in committee

“Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the B'nai Israel Congregation's Centennial. B'nai Israel is an essential part of Maryland's 8th District's vibrant and diverse Jewish community, and it is a privilege to represent a congregation with one hundred years of storied history and activism. The B'nai Israel Congregation began as a small gathering of committed friends who met at a congregant's home on Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C. It grew so quickly that the congregation had to occupy two buildings in the District before finally finding its permanent home in Rockville in 1976. In 2026, the B'nai Israel Congregation is one of the largest synagogues in the movement of Conservative Judaism. Today, over 1,100 families attend temple services, participate in b'nai mitzvahs and celebrate life milestones together. The people who call the B'nai Israel Congregation their spiritual community share core values of connection and service that have defined the Congregation throughout these one hundred years. The Congregation supports lifelong Jewish learning opportunities, from the Schilit Early Childhood Center to a busy adult education program. The synagogue maintains a close relationship with several communities in Israel. And every month, congregants enact their commitment to community by delivering nutritious meals to local women experiencing homelessness. The entire congregation gathers for Mitzvah Day in December to bring mitzvot to people across Montgomery County. This tradition of service flows from the B'nai Israel Congregation's deep well of moral solidarity and civic engagement. During their own migration from D.C. to Rockville, members of B'nai Israel helped lead the urgent project to free Jewish people trapped and persecuted by the Soviet Union. Today, congregants and clergy at the B'nai Israel Congregation are active participants in Montgomery County's interfaith coalition. They invest deeply in educating each generation about our own struggles in America for social justice and lead educational trips to historic sites of the Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery County and the wider DMV have been fortunate to be the home of the B'nai Israel Congregation over the past one hundred years. Liberal democracies are sustained by vibrant and engaged communities like the B'nai Israel Congregation. May the congregants and clergy of B'nai Israel continue to go from strength to strength for the next century to come--yasher koach. ____________________”

2026-03-24 · Civil Rights

“Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Peter and Cora Weiss's lifelong passionate dedication to peace, social justice and civil rights for all. I would like to ask for unanimous consent that two articles summarizing the remarkable lives of Peter and Cora Weiss. We just lost both of these fighters for human freedom and progress, and we are all poorer for it. In 1938, Peter fled Austria to escape Nazi persecution. Just a few years later he enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in World War II. Meantime, Cora volunteered with her mother to roll bandages for the Red Cross. They were deeply involved in defending freedom against fascism. As citizen activists, Peter and Cora became leaders of the national movement to stop the Vietnam War and halt the global nuclear arms race. Cora organized demonstrations in Central Park and Washington, D.C. that mobilized millions of Americans to demand an end to the Vietnam War and an end to nuclear testing. With his powerful knowledge of international institutions and the U.S. Constitution, Peter redefined international human rights law in the United States and abroad. Cora and Peter Weiss were champions of free speech and social justice but in Cora's own words, she ``wasn't making a revolution.'' She ``was just working hard and long.'' May we all work so hard and so long to achieve peace and justice in our own time. I include in the Record the following article honoring Peter Weiss from the Vineyard Gazette. Peter Weiss, a trailblazing attorney and a tireless advocate for human rights, international law and the abolition of nuclear weapons, died Nov. 3 at the age of 99, one month shy of his 100th birthday. The cause was old age. Born in Vienna, Austria, Peter led a life defined by resilience, hope, intellect and a profound commitment to justice and peace. Fleeing Austria in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution, Peter and his family spent three years in France before finding refuge in New York City. This early experience of injustice and displacement contributed to his lifelong dedication to defending human rights and holding those who violate them accountable through the rule of law. Peter served in the U.S. Army during WWII at a top-secret prisoner of war camp outside Washington, D.C. where German- speaking Jewish soldiers hosted and interrogated Nazi POWs. After the war he was stationed in Berlin, working to dismantle Nazi-aligned industrial cartels. Following his service, Peter finished his undergraduate education at St. John's College in Annapolis in 1949, where his study [[Page E1195]] of the Great Books had a profound influence on his life and work. He earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1952 and set off on a long professional legal career that included countless hours of pro bono work. Peter joined Langner & Parry, an intellectual property law firm in New York City, in 1955. In 1969 he was a founding partner of a successful international trademark firm, Weiss, Dawid, Fross & Lehrman. He represented a wide variety of clients, from Bozo the Clown and Laurel and Hardy to Chanel and Budweiser. He retired from trademark law at the age of 80. With his education and a moral compass as strong as any, he never wavered in his belief that the rule of law should prevail. ``I have a friend who likes to needle me by saying `law is the dead hand of the past laid upon the present,' '' Peter once told a group of law students, ``to which I usually reply, `law is the burning vision of the future leading us onward.' Of course, we are both wrong. But I still prefer my version.'' Throughout his professional career, Peter was involved in a wide range of political activities and movements. He was the chair, president or vice president of many organizations that he served or created. These include the American Committee on Africa, Center for Constitutional Rights, Institute for Policy Studies, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms, and New Jewish Narrative (formerly Americans for Peace now). In addition to his work to abolish nuclear weapons, he supported decolonization in Africa, and years later helped to write the constitution for the newly independent nation of Eritrea. He also supported the U.S. civil rights movement, an end to the American war in Vietnam, the dictatorship in Chile, and the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, to name a few. Peter was a visionary leader in the fight against nuclear arms, which he saw as the ultimate threat to the human race. He co-founded the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy in 1981 and served as the founding president of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms in 1988. In 1996, he and his colleagues brought a case before the International Court of Justice where half the justices sided with their position that the threat or use of nuclear weapons was a violation of international law ( https://www.armscontrol.org/ act/20160907/news/world-court-delivers-opinion-le”

2025-12-12 · Civil Rights

“Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the public service of Rev. Dr. Della J. Owens-Barber in advance of her fourth anniversary banquet as Senior Pastor at the Saint James Christian Church on December 7, 2025. Rev. Dr. Owens-Barber is a dedicated pastor, scholar, community leader, and advocate for spiritual and social transformation. Over the past decade, she has played a key role in the nationwide campaign to advance a powerful moral agenda to end poverty. As National Security Director for Repairers of the Breach, Rev. Dr. Owens-Barber has been a steadfast leader of the Poor People's Campaign and has championed an agenda against poverty and inequality. At a recent Poor People Campaign's Moral March on Washington, D.C., she spoke on behalf of millions of Americans who are uninsured and underinsured. As a result of her unflinching leadership in the campaign to address the needs of poor Americans, she has been both praised for her determination and arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. She has been central to the outstanding work of both Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People's Campaign. Rev. Dr. Owens-Barber is an accomplished leader in her ministry, developing robust programs that engage and empower senior citizens, organizing community food giveaways and promoting mental health awareness. She has also fostered intergenerational connection through worship, education and outreach. Rev. Dr. Owens-Barber previously led a distinguished career in law enforcement, higher education, youth development and social justice leadership. Rev. Dr. Owens-Barber earned advanced degrees in Criminal Justice and Theological Studies and a Doctor of Ministry. She continues to lead community service through the North Carolina Council of Churches where she serves on the Board of Directors, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and health advocacy networks. I am honored to recognize Rev. Dr. Della J. Owens-Barber on her fourth anniversary as Senior Pastor at the Saint James Christian Church and salute her for her passionate service to her community and our country. ____________________”

2025-12-02 · Civil Rights