WASHINGTON – Rep. Jerry Nadler (DY) announced Wednesday that he will not run for office next year as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, endorsing Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as his replacement.
“As our country faces the return of Donald Trump and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of life that he represents, I am confident that Jamie will capably lead the Judiciary Committee as we tackle this growing threat. to cope,” Nadler wrote in a letter to his colleagues obtained by the Associated Press.
Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, this week announced his bid to take over as the top Democrat on the judiciary, saying the committee would be “the headquarters of the opposition of the Congress Against Authoritarianism.”
The highest-ranking member of the minority party sits next to the committee chair and plays an important role in hearings. Under Raskin’s leadership, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee regularly undermined the Republican message as the committee tried and failed to come up with impeachment material against President Joe Biden.
The House Judiciary Committee will be chaired next year by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a strong supporter of President-elect Donald Trump. Committees draft legislation and may issue subpoenas for testimony or information, under penalty of contempt of Congress and referral to the Justice Department for prosecution.
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee when Democrats controlled the House of Representatives, Nadler led two impeachment efforts against then-President Trump.
Raskin praised Nadler in a statement.
“Jerry Nadler is an extraordinary attorney, patriot and public servant,” he said on social media. “His tenacious 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 battle ahead.”
This is a development story. Check back for updates.
