Jamie Raskin Doesn't Let Republican's Bogus Constitutional Claim Slide On House Floor
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) swiftly checked one of his colleagues yet again after Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) cooked up a false claim about one of the Founding Fathers on Wednesday.
The Maryland Democrat, a former constitutional law professor, knocked Bishop for tying President Thomas Jefferson to the Constitution amid debate on the House floor over a bill that would impact Washington, D.C. sentencing laws.
“And here’s what the gentleman from Maryland said, the law professor of — Thomas Jefferson, would understand but the law — the constitution that Thomas Jefferson signed said the Congress shall have power to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases, whatsoever, over such district,” Bishop said.
Raskin, who had referred to Jefferson’s involvement in drafting the Declaration of Independence earlier in the session, corrected his “friend” over his history before adding that there “might be some students watching” his response.
“Thomas Jefferson never signed the Constitution. He was, of course, on a diplomatic mission when the Constitution was being signed in Philadelphia,” Raskin said.
“But he did write the Declaration of Independence.”
Social media users compared Raskin’s move to watching “the little league play the major league”:
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to