WASHINGTON — Maryland Democrat Representative Jamie Raskin announced Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with a “serious but curable” cancer.
Mr Raskin, 60, who serves on the House Jan. 6 committee and was recently elected to become the top Democrat on the oversight committee, said he had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and would soon begin a course of treatment of outpatient chemotherapy. immunotherapy.
“I expect to get through this period, but I have been warned by my doctors to reduce unnecessary exposure to prevent Covid-19, the flu and other viruses,” Raskin said in a statement. “Chemotherapy not only destroys cancer cells, but also attacks natural antibodies and undermines the body’s immune system. I’ve been told it also causes hair loss and weight gain (although I still hold out hope for the kind that causes hair growth and weight loss).
Mr. Raskin said he intends to “get through this and continue to make progress every day in Congress for American democracy in the meantime.”
Few members of Congress have been as aggressive in trying to hold former President Donald J. Trump responsible for the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as Mr. Raskin, a former American University professor of constitutional law and U.S. senator. state of Maryland.
Mr. Raskin is known on Capitol Hill for his detailed discussions of US history and the nuances of the Constitution. He is the lead sponsor of legislation to create a committee that could remove a president from office under the 25th Amendment.
A Harvard Law graduate, he also released a memoir, “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy,” about 45 days that changed his life around the time of the siege of the Capitol and the death of his son .
Mr. Raskin was the lead impeachment manager in Mr. Trump’s second impeachment trial, in which seven Republican senators voted along with every Democrat to convict the former president of inciting insurrection for his role in the attack on the Capitol. While that vote fell short of the 67 senators needed to convict, Mr. Raskin has often noted that “predominant majorities” in both the House and Senate believed Mr. Trump was guilty.
Days before the riot, his son, Tommy, 25 and a Harvard Law student, committed suicide on New Year’s Eve. Weakened by grief, Mr. Raskin survived the attack on the Capitol. He almost immediately began pushing to impeach Mr. Trump for inciting violence, and within days, President Nancy Pelosi appointed him to lead the effort.
In that moment, Mr. Raskin said, the assignment gave him a sense of purpose.
As soon as Mr. Raskin announced the diagnosis, his colleagues on Capitol Hill began pouring in their best wishes.
“Jamie Raskin is a national treasure – an oasis of legal integrity and intellect at a time when both are sorely needed in the defense of democracy,” New York Democrat Representative Ritchie Torres wrote on Twitter. “I pray for his strong and speedy recovery as he undergoes cancer treatment. America needs you, Jamie.’
“I wish a speedy recovery for an outstanding public servant and longtime friend,” White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain wrote.
