Jamie Raskin — Democrat Candidate for U.S. House in Maryland, 2026

Jamie Raskin intends to vote against H.R. 7147, legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing constitutional violations and a lack of oversight. He conducted an oversight visit to a Baltimore ICE facility, where he observed severe overcrowding and inhumane conditions. Raskin also expressed outrage over the FY 2026 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions, which set a historic-low goal of 7,500, citing process flaws and a lack of congressional consultation.

““In Baltimore today, I witnessed people suffering in extremely inhumane conditions. In this facility, originally meant to hold people for no more than 12 hours, ICE is keeping people for days in overcrowded rooms with one toilet and no showers. No one should be forced to endure this brutal treatment for days on end,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin on February 13, 2026, after an unannounced oversight visit to a Baltimore ICE facility.”

Jamie Raskin supports affordable healthcare and has opposed legislative efforts that would increase healthcare costs. He advocated for restoring Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which he believes are crucial for millions of Americans to access necessary care. Raskin emphasizes fighting healthcare fraud with targeted measures rather than dismantling public programs like Medicaid, the ACA, and Medicare. He also co-introduced legislation to protect a woman's right to travel for healthcare.

“While today is a step towards victory in the fight to protect affordable health care, we never should have reached this crisis point. For months, Democrats demanded a vote to preserve our people’s health care. Republicans chose to shut down the government instead of protecting affordable health care. Donald Trump and GOP leadership launched a full-blown assault on Medicaid, the ACA and Medicare, but Democrats won’t stop fighting for our people. With affordable health care hanging in the balance, enough Republicans joined with us to bring this bill to the floor over Speaker Johnson’s objections. Democracy and decency overcame MAGA cruelty." - Representative Jamie Raskin, Statement on passage of bipartisan bill to avert GOP healthcare crisis, January 8, 2026”

Jamie Raskin supports environmental protection and climate action, a position reflected in his 100% score from the League of Conservation Voters in 2024 and 99% lifetime score. He has advocated for the full authorization and funding of federal programs to repair and modernize critical water infrastructure nationwide, including the Potomac Interceptor, in collaboration with other representatives.

Jamie Raskin strongly supports abortion and reproductive rights, stating that Americans should make their own healthcare decisions to protect personal freedom. He co-led a Congressional Resolution affirming reproductive freedom as a human right. He voted for the Right to Contraception Act, H.R.8297 (Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act), and H.R.3755 (Women’s Health Protection Act). He was endorsed by Reproductive Freedom for All for the 2026 election.

““Democrats are fighting to make reproductive care a fundamental human right as MAGA Republicans seek to destroy it as a right and even an available social good. We believe Americans should be able to make their own health care decisions without asking Donald Trump or Mike Johnson for permission. We’re on the side of protecting personal freedom, lowering health care costs and opposing government control. That’s why we’re introducing this critical resolution.” - Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Dec 10, 2025”

Representative Jamie Raskin voted against H.R. 7006, the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, on January 14, 2026. He criticized the bill for cutting $9.3 billion in national security, state department, and foreign assistance programs, and $3.2 billion in humanitarian aid. Raskin argued these cuts undermine U.S. values, global safety, and benefit authoritarian adversaries, while also supporting efforts to defend against authoritarianism.

“President Trump and MAGA in Congress have taken a wrecking ball to America’s foreign policy and diplomatic standing, destroying our humanitarian work all over the world and turning our government into his personal Gangster State. [...] Although I am grateful to my heroic Democratic colleagues on the Appropriations Committee who have done everything in their power to strip the most toxic poison pills from this legislation, the resulting bill effectively codifies the wholesale lawless destruction of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), whose systematic demolition has already led to thousands of preventable deaths around the world. Many of my constituents who had dedicated their lives to delivering humanitarian aid have lost their careers and their livelihoods to this wrecking ball, and I cannot bring myself to vote for the final destruction of USAID. [...] In all, H.R. 7006 cuts $9.3 billion across all of our national security, state department and foreign assistance programs and $3.2 billion in humanitarian assistance, a gift of self-destruction for our values which benefits only our authoritarian adversaries like Russia and North Korea while punishing our allies and the most vulnerable people in the world. Meantime, here at home, H.R. 7006 codifies $1.1 billion in cuts to the Internal Revenue Service, including an outrageous 8% cut to tax enforcement to allow more billionaires to escape paying the taxes they owe, leaving middle-class Americans again to pick up the tab. H.R. 7006 makes our world, and therefore, our nation and our people less safe." - Representative Jamie Raskin, statement after voting against H.R. 7006, January 14, 2026.”

Jamie Raskin supports public education, opposing efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. He argued that Congress created the department to ensure a high-quality, free public school education as a democratic safeguard. Raskin also co-sponsored H.R.5527 to halt book bans and censorship in Department of Defense Education Activity schools, aiming to restore access to educational materials. Additionally, he runs Democracy Summer, a program that trains students for progressive political campaigns.

““Congress created the Department of Education to ensure that every student in America could obtain a high-quality, free public school education,” Raskin wrote in a statement. “This is the right of every citizen and an essential democratic safeguard against political tyranny,” he said. “No president has the authority to dismantle a federal agency created by law. We’re going to court to defend not only congressional power but the department’s national educational mission, itself a pillar of American democracy,” Raskin added.”

Jamie Raskin supports gun safety legislation, co-leading the introduction of permit-to-purchase gun safety bills on 3/16/21 and 1/17/25 with Senator Van Hollen. He also introduced legislation on 4/8/21 to deter firearm transfers and fund gun violence prevention programs. On 6/21/24, he introduced a bill to cut federal contracts to gun dealers whose firearms are disproportionately linked to violent crime. He is endorsed by Giffords, an organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence.