WASHINGTON—Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced on Dec. 4 that he will step down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee next term and endorse Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as his successor.
Nadler, who has been in Congress since November 1992, has served as the committee’s chairman and ranking member for the past seven years.
In a letter to Democrat colleagues, Nadler, 77, said he will remain on the committee.
Nadler touted his achievements as the top Democrat on the committee, including twice impeaching former President Donald Trump and getting gun control and same-sex marriage legislation enacted.
In the letter, Nadler praised Raskin, 61, and gave him his blessing to lead the Democrats on the committee.
“Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with many distinguished colleagues on the Committee,” he said. “I am also proud that, under my leadership, some of our caucus’s most talented rising stars have been given a platform to demonstrate their leadership and their abilities.
“That includes Jamie Raskin, who in just a few terms in Congress has already proven himself to be an exceptional leader and spokesperson for our party’s values.”
Nadler went on to say he was confident Raskin would ably lead Democrats on the committee.
In a post on X, in response to Nadler’s letter, Raskin praised Nadler as “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,” he said.
Raskin, who has been in Congress since January 2017, said he is “honored and humbled to have his support in the battles ahead.”
The Republicans will maintain control of the House and therefore the committees come January.
Raskin is currently the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, but he announced a bid to challenge Nadler for the top Democrat spot on the House Judiciary Committee.
“This is where we will wage our front-line defense of the freedoms and rights of the people, the integrity of the Department of Justice and the FBI, and the security of our most precious birthright possessions: the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the rule of law, and democracy itself,” Raskin wrote in a Dec. 2 letter to colleagues announcing his run.
Raskin also said in the letter that he would look to Nadler for guidance on the House Judiciary Committee.
From The Epoch Times