ICYMI – Raskin Disparages Federal Employees: When You’re Talking About Civil Servants, It’s Personal

At a League of Women’s Voters debate this past weekend, the tone took an ugly turn that denigrates one of the largest constituencies in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District – the federal employees, such as civil servants and congressional staffers, who have dedicated their lives to public service.

Joel Rubin is the only candidate in this race who has been both a civil servant and congressional aide. Yet candidate Jamie Raskin decided to besmirch this federal experience as a qualifier for higher office, stating that:

The following is attributed to Joel Rubin, former civil servant, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, congressional aide, Peace Corps Volunteer, and progressive activist, who has nearly 20 years of diverse professional experience at the federal level. Rubin played a key eight-year role in helping to both build support for and pass the historic Iran Nuclear Agreement, a crowning progressive achievement in the face of a hostile Republican Congress.

“I don’t care what Jamie Raskin says about me, but when he attacks hard working federal employees—the civil servants, the veterans, the people who give their lives for this country—that’s goes too far.

I hope that Jamie isn’t saying that those of us who have spent years fighting the right wing Republican agenda in Congress aren’t worthy of serving in Congress, just because there is gridlock there. By that logic, President Obama himself wouldn’t be qualified to serve in Washington.

Rather than minimizing my ability to get results in a tough political environment, Jamie should be celebrating the progressive victories we have collectively achieved in the face of a hostile Congress, such as the Iran deal that I played a key role in advancing as both an activist and senior official. It’s easy to be dismissive about what differentiates us as candidates when one’s ability to get things done in Annapolis is the result of a comfortable Democratic majority. What we need in Washington is experience in getting results in hostile terrain.

Further, federal employees work tirelessly to support the American people and enhance our standing in the world, and we should applaud them rather than denigrate their service. Even in a ‘paralyzed Washington,’ congressional staffers get things done for the American people and District 8 constituents. For example, as a ‘staffer’, I was recognized for my bipartisan work to protect military healthcare, winning a ‘congressional staffer of the year’ award from the Military Officers Association of America in the process. And yes Jamie, I’m proud of it.

At the debate last Sunday, I closed my presentation by pointing out that we have enough mud-slinging in Washington, and we need to move away from that kind of politics, not be a part of it. I’m very concerned that this kind of glib rhetoric cheapens the discourse in our race to succeed Chris Van Hollen in Maryland’s 8th, and I want all federal employees in this district to know that I’m proud of what they do for this country, and that I will always have their back.”