WASHINGTON – Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) received an ovation Tuesday at the first meeting of the House Oversight Committee since starting cancer treatment, sporting a bandana look attributed to the famous rocker.
“We’re all rooting for you,” Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told Raskin at the start of the hearing, which was also the panel’s first meeting of the year. “We know you will win this battle. You are in our thoughts and prayers, and glad to see you here today.
Raskin said that he hopes all the requests will be “seeds of friendship for the rest of the year” and that he plans to fight his illness. The ranking member looked embarrassed as the room applauded.
Raskin announced in December that he had been diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and would begin a course of chemotherapy. “The prognosis for most people in my situation is very good after four months of treatment,” the Maryland Democrat wrote in a statement at the time, adding that she would lose hair and gain weight.
On Tuesday, Raskin’s black-and-white bandana covered her hair, which appeared to be falling out.
“I give all the respect to Little Steven for creating this look for the American people going through something,” Raskin told HuffPost, referring to guitarist and actor Steven Van Zandt.
Raskin also said his treatment so far has been good.
“I hang tough,” he said. “I have passed two of the six rounds. And the doctors are optimistic, and I feel strong. And my friends have supported me uniformly, Democrats and Republicans — and you know, that’s very important to me.