WASHINGTON, DC —Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (D-MA) today welcomed new members appointed to the committee for the 116th Congress. Four members were appointed this morning, including Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Rep. Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), and Rep. Donna E. Shalala (FL-27).
“Serving on the House Rules Committee is an honor that gives members an extraordinary opportunity to shape major legislation before it goes to the House Floor. The committee will play a major role as the 116th Congress works to create a House that is more accommodating and responsive to the demands of the American people. I congratulate Representatives Raskin, Scanlon, Morelle, and Shalala on their appointments today. This is an extraordinary group of lawmakers whose unique backgrounds will be invaluable to this committee,” said Chairman McGovern.
Congressman Jamie Raskin represents Maryland’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Prior to his time in Congress, Raskin was the State Senate Majority Whip in Maryland. A constitutional law professor at American University for more than 25 years, he has authored dozens of law review articles and several books, including the Washington Post bestseller Overruling Democracy: the Supreme Court v. the American People.
Congresswoman Scanlon represents Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District. Prior to serving in Congress, Congresswoman Scanlon practiced public interest law for nearly 35 years, where she represented families, children, immigrants and asylum seekers, veterans and seniors.
A lifelong resident of Upstate New York, Congressman Morelle is a former small business owner and was previously elected to the Monroe County Legislature as well as the New York State Assembly, where he served as Majority Leader from 2013-2018. A graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo, Congressman Morelle resides in the town of Irondequoit in Rochester, New York, with his wife, Mary Beth. They have three children and three grandchildren.
Congresswoman Shalala has spent her entire life fighting to improve the lives of others. The former president of the University of Miami, and former Peace Corps Volunteer, she has advocated tirelessly for women’s rights, civil rights, increased access to health care, better education and schools and a clean, sustainable environment. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, where she served for eight years, becoming the longest serving HHS Secretary in U.S. history.
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