Jamie Raskin’s Message to Jewish Dems

On Friday, we were joined by Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and a constitutional expert, to discuss Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unconstitutional power grabs. Rep. Raskin opened the event by warning us that their destructive agenda is creating a “national and civic emergency.”

We heard from Rep. Raskin about the illegality of Trump’s actions, which he described as an “inversion and distortion and obliteration of the Constitution.” He also spoke about the far-reaching implications of actions such as shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Finally, he spoke about the critically important role of the courts and actions we can all take to fight back against Trump’s coup.

Rep. Raskin also discussed the importance of engaging with Congress and urging your elected officials in the Senate and House to take action. It is critical that we “put pressure on Republicans… so they understand it’s their political future at stake.”

We have been encouraged to see the exponential increase in calls to Congress and encourage everyone to continue to contact your senators and representative to demand Trump stop trampling over our democracy and reinstate critically important checks and balances. Public pressure makes a difference, as we saw with the rescinding of the federal grant and loan freeze following public outrage.

Here’s how to call your members of Congress:

1. Find the office numbers for your representative and senators. Go to this link and type in your address. If you know the names of your representative and senators, call (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to their offices.

2. Call their office and read this script:

Hello, I am Jacob, I am a constituent living in [city/town], and my zip code is [zip code]. We are facing a national and civic emergency, and I am calling to demand that the [Senate/House] uses all the tools at their disposal to stop Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s illegal power grab.

Trump’s actions are blatantly unconstitutional and a threat to my personal and financial security, as well as our national security. Trump’s chaos will have devastating consequences for our economy, our democracy, and humanitarian efforts that directly impact the United States.

I urge you to do everything in your power to fight back against Trump’s executive branch coup using all procedural mechanisms in Congress until these actions are reversed. It’s time for Congress to reassert its authority and serve as a check on the executive branch.

You can also use this form to write your senators and representative.

Republicans in Congress are failing to uphold their oath to the Constitution by not holding Donald Trump accountable for his unconstitutional actions. Judges have blocked some of Trump’s most dangerous actions, but the Trump administration appears to be laying the groundwork to defy the court’s orders, adding another layer to what is already a constitutional crisis. We need to do everything we can to demand they stop Trump and uphold the Constitution.

In solidarity,

Sam Crystal
Chief of Staff, Jewish Democratic Council of America

P.S. If you missed our event with Rep. Jamie Raskin, watch the recording and make sure you are following us on social media so you don’t miss a chance to take action.