url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-andy-harris-announces-telephone-town-hall-tonight,Congressman Andy Harris Announces Telephone Town Hall Tonight,2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), will hold a telephone town hall tonight reaching out to more than 60,000 constituents in the First District.Congressman Harris’s office will call out to constituents in the Harford County and Upper Shore region. Important Details: Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 Time: 7:15PM-8:15PM Questions about the event can be directed to Congressman Harris' DC office at (202) 225-5311. Constituents who wish to be removed from the call list should contact Congressman Harris's DC office.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-responds-usda-report-showing-increase-household-hunger-due,Chairman Harris Responds to USDA Report Showing Increase in Household Hunger Due To The Costly Food Inflation of the Biden Administration,2023-11-21,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released the following statement in response to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service's (ERS) report showing food insecurity increased significantly in the 2021-2022 period. Key Stats In The Report Show: 17 million households were food insecure at some point during 2021-2022, including 6.8 million households that reported very low food security. From 2021 to 2022 there were significant increases in food insecurity and very low food security for nearly all subgroups of households described in this report. In 2022, the typical food-secure household spent 15 percent more on food than the typical food-insecure household of the same size and household composition. This latest report shows the food insecurity rate is right back to where it was during the Obama-Biden Administration after trending down during the Trump Administration. In his response to this report, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack called for more government funding while refusing to acknowledge the costly affects food inflation is having on American families. Statement From Congressman Harris:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-fourth-circuit-court-appeals-decision,Congressman Harris Releases Statement On The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision On The Maryland Handgun Training Law,2023-11-21,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C.–Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released the following statement on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision on the Maryland handgun training law. Statement From Congressman Harris: “Today’s decision by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals overturning the training provision in Maryland’s law that restricted the ability of law-abiding citizens to own a firearm to defend themselves was the right decision. In the face of ever-increasing crime in Maryland, every citizen has the Second Amendment right to defend themselves without Maryland’s liberal government interfering with that right.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-response-dhs-announcement-nearly-65000,"Congressman Harris Releases Statement In Response To DHS Announcement Of Nearly 65,000 Additional H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2024",2023-11-21,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, released the following statement in response to the recent announcement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL), will make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. Notably, this comes on top of the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year. The H-2B visa program permits employers to temporarily hire noncitizens to perform nonagricultural labor or services in the United States. The employment must be for a limited period of time, such as a one-time occurrence, seasonal, or intermittent need. Employers seeking to hire H-2B workers must take a series of steps to test the U.S. labor market. They must provide certification from the Department of Labor that proves there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available to do the temporary work for which they seek a prospective foreign worker, and that employing the H-2B workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “Numerous seasonal businesses in the First District, especially those in the crab processing and tourism industry, rely on the H-2B temporary foreign worker visa program to meet their labor needs. The announcement by the Administration Friday of almost 65,000 additional visas nationwide next year will be much needed help to those businesses. While there is still more work to do, the release of these additional visas is a step in the right direction as we work to find a permanent solution to help our seasonal businesses on the Eastern Shore.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-after-passage-house-bill-supporting,Congressman Harris Releases Statement After Passage of House Bill Supporting Israel,2023-11-03,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement following the passage of H.R. 6126, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. Key Provisions in the Bill Include: $4 billion to replenish Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems. $3.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing for the procurement of advanced weapons systems and defense articles and services. $1.2 billion for the continued development of the Iron Beam system to counter short-range threats. $1 billion to support artillery and munitions production. This Bill Supports US Personnel and Citizens by Providing: $150 million for an enhanced security presence at the US Embassy. $50 million for the evacuation of US citizens. Requires that the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State provide written reports to Congress detailing US security assistance provided to Israel to ensure accountability. The funding in this Bill is offset by recessions from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, specifically Section 10301, which appropriated additional funding for the Internal Revenue Service. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “Israel is in a fight for its very existence against radical Islamic terrorists and as a strong supporter of Israel, I was proud to co-sponsor the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. This bill provides $14 billion in critical aid to our ally Israel while using $14 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act's army of 87,000 IRS to pay for it. The radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas must be eliminated by Israel after their genocidal actions, and we must equip Israel with the resources they need.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-calls-governor-moore-reconsider-throwing-good-money-failing,Congressman Harris Calls on Governor Moore to Reconsider Throwing Good Money at Failing Offshore Wind Projects After Orsted Cancels Development of Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2,2023-11-02,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Following the announcement that Danish company Orsted is cancelling offshore Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects in New Jersey, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement calling on Governor Wes Moore to reconsider throwing good money at Maryland’s failing offshore wind projects. As recently as last week, Governor Moore announced more than $6 million in grant funding for emerging businesses and workforce development in the offshore wind industry including $2 million in grants to fund the support of offshore wind education, workforce training, and internship programs. He also included $1.5 million in grant funding to support new and existing businesses entering the offshore wind supply chain in Maryland. This comes on top of Governor Moore’s March 29, 2023, announcement that Maryland will significantly increase its offshore wind output to position Maryland as becoming the country’s leader in offshore wind production by 2031. Notably, Maryland is partnering with Orsted, the failing, foreign owned offshore wind company that just announced it is killing plans to build two offshore wind farms in New Jersey. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “Governor Wes Moore should reconsider throwing good money at expensive offshore wind projects that may be causing the death and stranding of dozens of whales and marine mammals off the Atlantic Coast. Instead of learning from the failed offshore wind projects in New Jersey, Governor Moore is doubling down on additional offshore wind funding at a time when hard-working Marylanders are struggling with inflation and are already seeing increases in their electric rates. As we can clearly see, these expensive, harmful offshore wind projects weren’t any good for New Jersey and they certainly won’t be any better for Maryland.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-andy-harris-releases-statement-his-vote-jim-jordan-speaker-house,Congressman Andy Harris Releases Statement on His Vote for Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House,2023-10-18,2023,2023-10,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies release the following statement on his vote for Congressman Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House of Representative. Statement From Congressman Harris: “As expected, Washington insiders were worried about Jim Jordan becoming Speaker. As a result of lobbyist pressure, Mr. Jordan, as expected, lost some votes today. But the American people want a Speaker to represent THEM, not DC special interests—so I’m backing Jim Jordan for as long as it takes.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-announces-department-justice-grant-cecil-county-prevention,Congressman Harris Announces Department of Justice Grant to the Cecil County Prevention and Overdose Response Team,2023-10-03,2023,2023-10,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations released the following statement after the Department of Justice awarded a grant in the amount of $982,806.00 to the Cecil County Prevention and Overdose Response Team. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “I am pleased to see the Department of Justice awarded this sizable grant to the Cecil County Prevention and Overdose Response Team. Drug overdoses continue to impact many across Maryland, and it is vital our communities have the tools and resources needed to provide proper care to those experiencing overdoses.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-issues-statement-support-sequester-resolution-sr,Chairman Harris Issues Statement in Support of a Sequester Resolution (SR),2023-09-21,2023,2023-09,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released the following statement in support of the unprecedented Sequester Resolution (SR) working its way through the House of Representatives. Statement From Chairman Harris: “I fully support the passage of a Sequester Resolution (SR) which would solve our September 30th funding deadline, enforce border security, and cut unprecedented levels of reckless Washington spending. I urge the Biden Administration and his alliance of open-border Democrats in the Senate to focus on American needs by shutting down the border instead of shutting down the government.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-issues-statement-support-sequester-resolution-sr-0,Chairman Harris Issues Statement in Support of a Sequester Resolution (SR),2023-09-21,2023,2023-09,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released the following statement in support of the unprecedented Sequester Resolution (SR) working its way through the House of Representatives. Statement From Chairman Harris: “I fully support the passage of a Sequester Resolution (SR) which would solve our September 30th funding deadline, enforce border security, and cut unprecedented levels of reckless Washington spending. I urge the Biden Administration and his alliance of open-border Democrats in the Senate to focus on American needs by shutting down the border instead of shutting down the government.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-announces-offices-inaugural-participation-congressional-app,Chairman Harris Announces Office’s Inaugural Participation In The Congressional App Challenge,2023-09-19,2023,2023-09,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), is pleased to announce his office’s inaugural participation in the Congressional App Challenge. The Congressional App Challenge is a national event, where students in Congressional Districts across the country can compete to create internet applications (apps) developing their coding and software design skills. The Congressman is confident this annual event will foster young constituents’ interest in pursuing higher studies in Computer Science, as well as potential future careers in growing technological fields such as cybersecurity and software engineering. Students may submit apps dealing with any topic prior to November 1, 2023. Contestants may compete individually, or in teams of up to four participants. A full list of rules is available here. Please visit the Congressional App Challenge Web Page to register. If you have any questions about this annual challenge, please contact the Congressman’s App Challenge Coordinator, Leo Thuman, at leo.thuman@mail.house.gov",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-pens-op-ed-need-more-school-choice-maryland,Chairman Harris Pens Op-Ed On The Need For More School Choice In Maryland,2023-09-07,2023,2023-09,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Yesterday, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies published and op-ed in the Washington Examiner highlighting Maryland’s many failing public schools and the need for more school choice. Rep. Harris wrote: Over the next few weeks, thousands of Maryland children will walk through the doors of a public school in hopes of gaining an education under the Maryland public school blueprint of “Delivering opportunity and the promise of a better future to every Maryland child.” Sadly, for many of these children, and especially those in Baltimore City, the words of this blueprint are worth less than the paper on which they were printed. Rep. Harris Continued: Despite pouring billions and billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars into Maryland’s public school system, our state test results show the math and reading levels of Maryland students have gotten progressively worse — not better. Take, for instance, Baltimore City, which spends an average of $21,606 per student, making it the fourth best-funded school system in America, and yet 93% of Baltimore City’s third through eighth grade students failed math last year. Just last month, our state student achievement scores came out showing less than 5% math proficiency in Baltimore County's seventh and eighth grades and less than 50% reading proficiency statewide in third grade. Read Congressman Harris’ full op-ed here and below: The Case For School Choice In Maryland Over the next few weeks, thousands of Maryland children will walk through the doors of a public school in hopes of gaining an education under the Maryland public school blueprint of “ Delivering opportunity and the promise of a better future to every Maryland child.” Sadly, for many of these children, and especially those in Baltimore City, the words of this blueprint are worth less than the paper on which they were printed. It’s no secret that despite budget surpluses and billions of dollars in public funding, Maryland’s government has failed to fix the epidemic of failing schools in our state. Instead, it has joined hands with the teachers’ unions in promoting the same failing public schools that are actually hurting the educational success of our students. As a result, this school year thousands of Maryland parents will have no choice other than to send their children back to the same public schools that failed them the previous year. This is why it is past time to offer school choice to all parents statewide — especially those whose children are in schools failing to educate them. While the teachers’ unions and many politicians on the Left argue school choice does not improve education, numerous studies show a direct correlation between school choice and better math and reading levels. Researchers at the University of Arkansas’s School Choice Demonstration Project developed an Education Freedom Index to measure school choice environments in the states and Washington, D.C., and found that school choice rankings strongly correlated with higher National Assessment of Education Progress scores for eighth grade math and reading. The study concluded , “Higher levels of education freedom are significantly associated with higher NAEP achievement levels and higher NAEP achievement gains.” Despite pouring billions and billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars into Maryland’s public school system, our state test results show the math and reading levels of Maryland students have gotten progressively worse — not better. Take, for instance, Baltimore City, which spends an average of $21,606 per student, making it the fourth best-funded school system in America, and yet 93% of Baltimore City’s third through eighth grade students failed math last year. Just last month, our state student achievement scores came out showing less than 5% math proficiency in Baltimore County's seventh and eighth grades and less than 50% reading proficiency statewide in third grade. I firmly believe Maryland families, and families across our country, deserve options to improve their children’s education. We must increase parental access to Maryland’s school choice program, Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today. BOOST provides scholarships to more than 2,500 low-income Maryland families and gives these children a chance at a quality education. According to the latest data available from the BOOST program, nearly $3 million has been awarded to families in Baltimore City alone. If properly and fully funded, parents whose children are in failing schools could access better quality education through the BOOST program. We cannot tolerate the status quo when it comes to failing schools, especially for our underprivileged and minority youth who most need and deserve high-quality education. That’s why in Congress, I am a strong advocate for school choice nationally and most recently voted for the Parents Bill of Rights — the only bill that enshrines parents’ role as the primary educator and caretaker of their children. Maryland parents have spent years voicing their concerns about the state’s poor student achievement results, the increased promotion of woke curricula in the classroom, and the need for access to school choice. To this day, their voices have not been heard, which is a violation of parents’ fundamental rights. It is time to change that. We cannot continue funding the same public-school systems that are failing to properly educate our children and focusing instead on a woke agenda far removed from the basic purpose of education, which is to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. If a child is struggling in a failing public school, parents deserve access to school choice so that they can deliver the opportunity of a better education to their children.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-issues-statement-response-study-showing-recreational-marijuana,Chairman Harris Issues Statement in Response to Study Showing Recreational Marijuana Users Commonly Struggle With Cannabis Use Disorder,2023-08-31,2023,2023-08,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. –Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released the following statementin response to the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open (JAMA) study showing 21% of recreational cannabis users struggle with cannabis use disorder (CUD) after cannabis became legal. According to the National Health Institute, clinicians characterize cannabis use disorder as a problematic use of cannabis. Common symptoms include: A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control cannabis use. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain cannabis, use cannabis, or recover from its effects. Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use cannabis. According to the study, recreational cannabis usersexperienced a more severe form of CUD whereas the disorder was still problematic but less severe in medical users. This study was conducted in Washington State where recreational marijuana is legal. Statement From Chairman Harris: “For decades, numerous studies have shown the negative impact regular recreational marijuana use has on the human brain and body, but these studies have been ignored by lawmakers, including those in Maryland, who pushed to legalize recreational cannabis without enough scientific research. As I have long said, the American public deserves to know the effect modern marijuana has on the human body before it is legalized for recreational use.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:30:18Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-response-maryland-student-achievement,Congressman Harris Releases Statement in Response to Maryland Student Achievement Scores,2023-08-31,2023,2023-08,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement after Maryland student achievement scores showed less than 5% math proficiency in Baltimore County grades 7 and 8 and less than 50% reading proficiency statewide in grade 3. Statement From Congressman Harris: “Maryland student achievement scores came out. Less than 5% math proficiency in Baltimore County grades 7 and 8, and less than 50% reading proficiency statewide in grade 3. What’s the sense of promoting STEM education in high school and college if our eighth graders can’t even do math? We need to stop the woke school agenda and return to reading, writing, and arithmetic.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:30:18Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-and-house-committee-agriculture-chairman-thompson-hold,Chairman Harris and House Committee On Agriculture Chairman Thompson Hold Listening Session at UMES,2023-08-11,2023,2023-08,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Chairman Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD) was joined by House Committee on Agriculture, Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, (R-PA) in holding a listening session at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). They were joined by several agriculture stakeholders, including those representing farmers and watermen, as well as local officials. “I’d like to thank Chairman Thompson for coming to Maryland’s First Congressional District today and I would also like to thank UMES President Heidi M. Anderson for hosting us all for this important event. Agriculture is both the economic and cultural backbone of the First District and it is vital that the concerns of our local farmers and agricultural stakeholders are addressed in the Farm Bill.” Rep. Harris said. “Listening to the concerns of America’s producers and consumers is essential as we draft a highly effective Farm Bill. Thank you to Dr. Harris for bringing together this group of agricultural stakeholders to discuss what’s working and what needs to be tweaked in this year’s Farm Bill.” said Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “The federal Farm Bill is a vital piece of legislation for America’s farmers and it’s a milestone for land-grant colleges, especially 1890 Land Grants like UMES. We conduct research vital to crop management. We help local farmers address global challenges like climate change. And we help communities understand the importance of agriculture to our nation’s food supply and local economic development,” said UMES President, Dr. Heidi M. Anderson. “But this year’s legislation is also crucial because it provides an opportunity to address a funding inequity that has plagued HBCUs for decades.” UMES President said.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:30:18Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-host-person-town-halls-cecil-and-harford-county-next-week,Congressman Harris to Host In-Person Town Halls in Cecil and Harford County Next Week,2023-08-11,2023,2023-08,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, August 15th, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), will hold two in-person town halls, one in Cecil County and one in Harford County. The purpose of these town halls is to hear from constituents about important issues that concern them and to answer questions about the Congressman's work during this current term in Congress. The town halls are free, open to the public, and include an extensive question and answer session. The discussion will likely cover a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to, the economy, border security, crime, and the national debt. Town Hall Information: Tuesday, August 15th: Cecil County Time: 5:30-6:30 PM Location: Rising Sun Banquet Hall; 300 Joseph Biggs Memorial Hwy, Rising Sun, MD Tuesday, August 15th: Harford County Time: 7:30-8:30 PM Location: Harford County Public Library; 2510 S Tollgate Rd, Abingdon, MD 21009",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:30:18Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-announces-538500-rural-development-grant-increase-food,"Congressman Harris Announces a $538,500 Rural Development Grant to Increase Food Distribution Efforts on Maryland’s Eastern Shore",2023-07-28,2023,2023-07,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, announced a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant in the amount of $538,500.00 to increase food distribution efforts on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This Rural Development investment will be used for the establishment of the Eastern Shore Delmarva Farm to Freezer project. The communities served by this project will include: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “As Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, I am pleased to see the USDA awarded this grant to assist with increasing food distribution across the Eastern Shore. Access to nutritious food continues to be a struggle for many hardworking families in several of our counties and the Delmarva Farm to Freezer project will help in providing the resources needed to expand access to healthy food.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:18:03Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-announces-three-usda-rural-development-grants-volunteer,Congressman Harris Announces Three USDA Rural Development Grants to Volunteer Fire Companies In Maryland’s First District,2023-07-28,2023,2023-07,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, announced a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development investment grant in the amount of $342,500.00 to the Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company (VFC). This Rural Development investment will be used to replace a sixteen-year-old ambulance that is obsolete and requires many repairs. This grant will also be used to purchase additional emergency equipment. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., also announced a USDA Rural Development investment grant in the amount of $187,000.00 for the Galena Volunteer Fire Company. This grant will be used to purchase a new ambulance as well as updated equipment for their emergency vehicles. In addition, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., announced a USDA Rural Development investment grant in the amount of $271,000.00 to purchase a second ambulance for Pocomoke City, Maryland. This new ambulance will replace a vehicle from 2016 that does not meet safety standards for preventingthe spread of COVID-19 to patients and emergency medical staff. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “I am pleased to see the USDA issued Rural Development grants to the Rock Hall and Galena Volunteer Fire Companies and to purchase an additional ambulance for Pocomoke City. It is critical that our firefighters have access to the appropriate emergency equipment so that our First District residents receive emergency services in a timely manner.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:18:03Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-opens-2023-academy-nomination-process,Congressman Harris Opens 2023 Academy Nomination Process,2023-07-06,2023,2023-07,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) is pleased to announce the U.S. Military Service Academies nomination application is now available for students wishing to join the class of 2028. Congressman Harris will nominate the finest students from Maryland’s First Congressional District for appointments to the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force, and Merchant Marine Academies. The Coast Guard Academy does not require a Congressional nomination, though Congressman Harris will recommend interested applicants on a case-by-case basis. Admission to the service academies is based on SAT/ACT scores, class rank, physical aptitude scores, extracurricular activities, athletic abilities, medical examinations, and a panel interview. Academies accept applications on a rolling basis, beginning in September. Final acceptance is also contingent upon receiving a nomination from an authorized source, such as one’s Congressman or Senator. The deadline to apply for a nomination from Congressman Harris is November 6, 2023. All qualified residents of Maryland’s First District are encouraged to apply. Interviews will be conducted in the Fall by Congressman Harris’ Military Academy Review Board, which includes Veterans and reservists of the United States military. The Service Academies will be notified of Congressman Harris’ nominations by December 31, 2023. Students can complete the nomination application at https://harris.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations. For questions, please contact the Military Academy Nomination Coordinator, Leo Thuman, at MD01academy@mail.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:18:03Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-calls-end-marylands-gas-tax-increase-set-go-effect-saturday,Congressman Harris Calls For an End to Maryland’s Gas Tax Increase Set To Go Into Effect On Saturday,2023-07-05,2023,2023-07,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations released the following statement ahead of the gas tax increase set to go into effect in Maryland on Saturday. Maryland’s gasoline tax will increase on Saturday from 42.7 cents to 47 cents per gallon. The tax on diesel will go from 43.5 cents to 47.5 cents per gallon. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “Hard-working Marylanders are already paying record prices at the gas pump, thanks to the failed energy policies of the Biden administration. In addition to paying a federal gas tax, on Saturday Marylanders will see yet another state gas tax increase and will now pay 47 cents per gallon in state gas tax alone. Americans already pay too much in taxes. The pain at the pump is real for Maryland families and I urge Governor Wes Moore to call the legislature into a special session, before the General Assembly reconvenes in January 2024, to repeal the gas tax increase.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:18:03Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-joins-maryland-delegation-announcing-38-million-boost-local,Congressman Harris Joins Maryland Delegation in Announcing $3.8 Million to Boost Local Meat and Blue Catfish Processing,2023-07-05,2023,2023-07,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Jamie Raskin, David J. Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all Md.) announced $3.8 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program for the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation’s (MARBIDCO) loan program to help Maryland-based, small- and medium-sized food businesses increase their capacity to process meat and invasive Blue Catfish in the state. According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, nearly 4,000 farms in Maryland raise livestock, while commercial watermen working in the Chesapeake Bay harvest over 5 million pounds of the invasive and predatory Blue Catfish which are only expected to grow in number. Yet despite these activities, Maryland has only 18 USDA-approved small, continuous inspection facilities, which can result in long processing appointment wait times for the state’s farmers and watermen. With these funds, MARBIDCO will leverage its experience in helping Maryland’s small to mid-sized meat processors expand or establish their operations to cut processing times and bring local meat and Blue Catfish to market faster. “Maryland boasts strong agriculture and seafood industries that contribute billions of dollars to our state’s economy while helping feed the region and country. But currently, our farmers and watermen are forced to compete against each other for very limited resources when it comes to processing their products, which causes delays that have dire economic consequences. That’s why we worked to secure this federal investment in boosting local meat and fish processing services – which will mean more business for our farmers and watermen, more capacity to get the invasive Blue Catfish out of the Bay, and lower food costs for consumers. This investment is an important step forward for Maryland and the Bay, and we will continue working to address the root causes of these processing delays to support our local agricultural and fishing industries,” said the lawmakers. Through this revolving loan program, MARBIDCO plans to offer loans ranging from $200,000 to $4,000,000 to purchase livestock processing and cold storage equipment, build or upgrade meat processing facilities, and purchase real estate used for livestock processing. MARBIDCO will also match the equity contribution of an approved applicant on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to 10 percent of the project costs, with the maximum grant award amount capped at $250,000,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:18:03Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-announces-2023-art-competition-winner,Congressman Harris Announces 2023 Art Competition Winner,2023-06-26,2023,2023-06,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced Alyssa Scalia as the winner of the First Congressional District of Maryland's 2023 Congressional Art Competition. Entitled “The Heroes Behind the Heroes” Alyssa’s work will be diplayed in the halls of Congress for one year, and she will be honored at the annual award winner’s ceremony in Washington, D.C. A picture of her work can be viewed here. Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Congressman Harris issued the following statement:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:08:25Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-leads-effort-get-h-2b-returning-worker-exemption-through,Congressman Harris Leads Effort To Get H-2B Returning Worker Exemption Through Appropriations Full Committee Mark-Up,2023-06-22,2023,2023-06,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Harris released the following statement after the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security passed language to advance the H-2B returning worker exemption out of committee. The H-2B visa program permits employers to temporarily hire noncitizens to perform nonagricultural labor or services in the United States. The employment must be for a limited period of time, such as a one-time occurrence, seasonal, or intermittent need. Employers seeking to hire H-2B workers must take a series of steps to test the U.S. labor market. They must also provide certification from the Department of Labor that proves there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available to do the temporary work for which they seek a prospective foreign worker, and that employing the H-2B workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. Congressman Harris Statement: “This is welcome news for the numerous seasonal businesses in Maryland's First Congressional District and across the nation that rely on the H-2B visa program to meet their labor needs. Demand for foreign workers in seasonal employment has soared in recent years, especially with crippling labor shortages associated with the pandemic. Based on input from small businesses across Maryland’s Eastern Shore, I know this program is an essential part of the First Congressional District’s economy and supports thousands of related jobs filled by American citizens. As such, I am very proud to have worked with my bipartisan colleagues to advance this returning worker exemption through committee and I will continue to support this exemption until a permanent solution is achieved.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:08:25Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/media-advisory-monday-705pm-congressman-andy-harris-speak-watermen-about-local,MEDIA ADVISORY: MONDAY 7:05PM: Congressman Andy Harris To Speak With Watermen About Local Issues,2023-06-19,2023,2023-06,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – On Monday, June 19th at 7:05pm Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. will meet with local watermen, elected officials, and local stakeholders to discuss issues of interest affecting commercial watermen and recreational boaters during the busy summer season. WHO: Congressman Andy Harris, local watermen, and elected officials WHEN: Monday, June 19th @ 7:05pm WHERE: 5909 Coastal Highway Suite E. Ocean City, MD 21842",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:15:57Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-after-advancing-fy24-agriculture-rural,"Congressman Harris Releases Statement After Advancing FY24 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food And Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill",2023-06-15,2023,2023-06,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after advancing the FY24 Agriculture Bill. Notably, this legislation: Supports our rural communities and strengthens our national security and food supply by continuing critical investments in agriculture research, rural broadband, and animal and plant health programs. Reins in wasteful Washington spending and bureaucracy by redirecting billions in the partisan bills that contained Democrats’ priorities (American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act) to help America’s producers and rural communities. Restricts the USDA Secretary’s discretionary spending authority on unauthorized, non-emergency programs. Directs USDA to focus hiring efforts in state and county offices to assist producers and rural communities, rather than continuing to bloat the DC bureaucracy. Protects the lives of unborn children including a provision that ends mail-order chemical abortion drugs. Prohibits the use of funds to promote or advance critical race theory. Rescinds $3.250 billion for a rural clean energy program created in the Inflation Reduction Act for wasteful ‘green’ climate initiatives. Directs the Secretary to take action to prohibit the purchase of agricultural land by companies owned by China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. Includes a funding increase and direction for USDA to improve the tracking system for foreign land ownership under the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: “As Americans know all too well, our country continues to face record inflation driven by the over- spending of the Biden Administration. For fiscal year 2024, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s discretionary allocation is $17.8 billion. By redirecting nearly $7.5 billion in unobligated funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, this bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission with an effective allocation of $25.3 billion – a decrease of only two percent from this fiscal year, and an increase of $188 million above FY22 levels. We simply cannot continue down this path of providing large sums of money without regard to the fiscal future of our nation.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:15:57Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-announces-annual-service-academy-information-session,Congressman Harris Announces Annual Service Academy Information Session,2023-06-07,2023,2023-06,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., announced that his annual military service academy information session will be held on Thursday, June 29th at 6:30pm. Each year, Congressman Harris holds this information session for high school students interested in pursuing a Congressional nomination to attend one of the nation's military service academies. This year, the virtual forum will be kicked off by a personal message from the Congressman and will be followed by an informative briefing from experts in the selection process. The virtual forum will run approximately 90 minutes and will give students a first-hand look at academy life through the eyes of recent graduates. The discussion will also cover requirements necessary to attend an academy and the Congressional nomination application process. It will conclude with a question-and-answer session for students and parents. Students interested in attending should RSVP by email no later than June 26th toMD01Academy@mail.house.gov. The subject line should read “[first name][last name] Academy Info Session.” Additionally, the following information should be included in the RSVP: Name Address Phone number Reliable email address Individuals who have RSVP'd will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the virtual meeting by Tuesday, June 27th by close of business day. Additional questions can be emailed to MD01Academy@mail.house.gov Congressman Harris issued the following statement:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:08:25Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-debt-ceiling-vote,Congressman Harris Releases Statement On Debt Ceiling Vote,2023-06-05,2023,2023-06,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Harris released the following statement ahead of his vote on the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Congressman Harris Statement: “After reading this bill, I have decided to vote against it, because only in Washington would a bill that actually increases the debt ceiling by $4 trillion be celebrated as a “Fiscal Responsibility Act.” My constituents sent me to Congress to permanently change the way Washington does business, and this includes getting our fiscal house in order. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to write blank checks for our federal government knowing that our children and grandchildren will be the ones responsible for paying off the largest debt in American history.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:08:25Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-responds-secretary-vilsacks-false-and-misleading-criticism,Congressman Harris Responds to Secretary Vilsack’s False and Misleading Criticism of The House Agriculture Appropriations Bill,2023-05-18,2023,2023-05,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations,released the following statement in response to USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsack’s misleading and false criticism of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill. In his criticism, Secretary Vilsack stated: “I’m convinced Roman Roy from ‘Succession’ must have had a hand in writing this unrealistic, hurtful bill. How else do you explain a policy that would take food assistance away from women, children, and vulnerable seniors, including veterans and people with health conditions that make it difficult for them to consistently work? How do you explain allowing hardworking farmers to go into foreclosure, right as we’re coming out of the pandemic and just recovering from the myriad associated challenges they’ve faced? And how do you explain blocking our ability to hire staff needed to implement conservation programs producers are asking to put in place on their farms? These are just a few of too many questions the bill raises.” Congressman Harris Issued the Following Statement in Response: “Clearly, the Secretary of Agriculture must not have read the bill because the SNAP work requirements do not pertain to children, seniors, or anyone with a mental or physical disability. Contrary to what the Secretary claims, the bill doesn’t make any changes to the underlying work requirements other than to raise the age from 49 to 55 in which able-bodied adults without dependents need to volunteer, work, or be in job training 20 hours a week. Given that the average age of a farmer producing America’s food is 58, this is not an unreasonable requirement. Regarding assistance to farmers, the Department has already provided almost $1.1 billion in loan forgiveness to prevent foreclosure with $2 billion left on-hand. Additionally, the bill clearly states that the USDA should focus on hiring in the field, which means we want the focus to be on hiring the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff needed to implement conservation, farm, and disaster programs rather than more bureaucrats in DC. It’s obvious the Secretary does not grasp the grave fiscal situation our country is in due the Biden Administration’s overspending. People need to read the bill before making false accusations.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:55:44Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-votes-yes-secure-border-act-2023,Congressman Harris Votes “Yes” On The Secure the Border ACT of 2023,2023-05-11,2023,2023-05,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, as Title 42 officially ends, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), released the following statement after voting “yes” on H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023. Notably, the Secure the Border Act of 2023 will: Force the Biden Administration to restart construction of the border wall. Deploy technology to the southern and northern border. Increase the number of Border Patrol agents and provide bonus pay. Require transparency regarding illegal crossings from the Department of Homeland Security. Strengthen current law to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking. End catch and release. End abuse of executive immigration authority. Strengthen and streamline the asylum process. A recent NPR/Ipsos poll showed that more than half of Americans believe we are witnessing an invasion at our southern border and a permanent solution is needed. Congressman Harris Statement: “Since Joe Biden took office, there has been over 5 million illegal crossings along our wide-open southern border. Securing our southern border is a top legislative priority for me and one of the issues the American people sent us back to Washington to solve. It is a reckless dereliction of duty for the Biden Administration and our “border czar,” Kamala Harris, to continually allow the cartels to smuggle both humans and fentanyl into our streets without ending this crisis. For the sake of the American people, I urge the Senate to take up the bill and pass it.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:55:44Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/media-advisory-congressman-andy-harris-visit-ae-phillips-son-picking-house,MEDIA ADVISORY: Congressman Andy Harris to Visit A.E. Phillips & Son Picking House on Hoopers Island to Highlight Maryland’s Growing H2B Struggles,2023-05-01,2023,2023-05,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday at 10:00am, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) will visit A.E. Phillips & Son picking house on Hoopers Island to highlight the struggles Maryland picking houses are having with the current H-2B nonimmigrant visa lottery system. Small businesses in the crab picking industry that supply crab meat to local restaurants, have faced massive employee shortages as a result of Federal government limits on the hiring of vital temporary crab meat picking workers. One of the oldest picking houses in the country, A.E. Phillips & Son has been shuttered the last two seasons because of a bad draw on the H-2B lottery system. This year, they drew a “B” category, and their pickers will begin arriving this week. Congressman Harris will visit the picking house at the start of their season. WHAT: Congressman Andy Harris will visit A.E. Phillips & Son picking house. Both the Congressman and picking house officials will take questions after the event. WHO: Congressman Andy Harris WHEN: Wednesday, May 3rd at 10:00am WHERE: A. E. Phillips & Son--2423 Hoopers Island Rd, Fishing Creek, MD 21634 Media are welcome to attend and observe the event. Please RSVP to Anna.A@mail.house.gov for a press badge.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:55:44Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-announces-usda-rural-development-grant-worcester-county,"Chairman Harris Announces USDA Rural Development Grant to Worcester County, Maryland",2023-04-26,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) Chairman of the House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies Subcommittee announced a U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant in the amount of $1,024,000.00 to Worcester, County, Maryland. This Rural Development investment grant will be used to extend water service to the St. Martins by the Bay subdivision, located in rural Worcester County. As part this proposed project, funds will be used to extend the existing Ocean Pines water service area to serve the 58 households in the St. Martins subdivision. Congressman Harris Statement: “I am pleased to see that the USDA has issued this much needed grant to the town of Worcester County for the extension of their water service. For a long time now, town officials have expressed a need for this funding to deal with contamination and saltwater intrusion. Safe and uncontaminated drinking water is of great importance to health of our First District residents, and I know this money will be put to good use.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-votes-yes-limit-save-and-grow-act,"Congressman Harris Votes Yes On Limit, Save, and Grow Act",2023-04-26,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement following his Yes vote on the Limit, Save, and Grow Act of 2023 which passed in the House of Representatives today by a 217-215 vote. The Limit, Save, and Grow Act of 2023 returns current spending levels for FY24 to FY22 pre-pandemic levels and allows for 1% annual growth over the next 10 years. Notably, this piece of legislation will cut spending by: Reclaiming nearly $50-80 billion in unspent COVID funds. Defunding Joe Biden’s army of new IRS agents-- saving approximately $71 billion. Repealing “Green New Deal” tax credits --saving approximately $271 billion-$1.2 trillion. Nullifying Joe Biden’s student loan giveaway to the wealthy-- saving approximately $465 billion. On Tuesday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office scored the legislation and reported that the spending reforms attached would save nearly $5 trillion. A recent Harvard/Harris Poll showed that 63% of voters want Congress to raise the debt limit only with restraints on future spending. Congressman Harris Statement: “Our Country is on a fiscal cliff and although I have never voted for a debt ceiling increase in my time as Congressman; today, I voted to raise our nation’s debt ceiling with serious spending cuts attached. Now that the pandemic is over, the Limit, Save, and Grow Act returns government spending for most agencies—except for Veterans Affairs and Defense---to the pre-Covid spending levels once championed by the Biden-Harris Administration. As our national debt climbs higher, it’s time to permanently cut the woke, weaponized, and wasteful government spending that is threatening the future of our children and grandchildren.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/acting-national-institute-health-director-admits-clinical-studies-should-be,Acting National Institute of Health Director Admits that Clinical Studies Should Be Based on Sex Assigned at Birth,2023-04-20,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement following his line of questioning in a House Appropriations hearing in which Acting Director of the National Institute of Health (NIH), Laurence Tabak, admitted that due to the scientific purposes of clinical studies, it’s important to enroll men and women separately based on their sex assigned at birth rather than their stated gender identity. The remarks came during the Budget & Oversight Hearing – Fiscal Year 2024 Request For The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Administration For Strategic Preparedness And Response, And National Institute Of Health in which Dr. Tabak was pressed on the importance of enrolling genders separately when conducting clinical studies. Congressman Harris Statement: “Dr. Tabak’s admission that the sex assigned at birth is still needed to conduct accurate scientific research in clinical studies further proves that woke gender identity is not based on science, but rather part of the woke ideology that is running rampant in the Biden Administration. As a physician who has conducted NIH level research, it is common knowledge that any scientist must know the difference between X and Y chromosomes while researching and the use of reproductive biology is critical in determining a scientifically sound outcome.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-releases-statement-after-voting-yes-protection-women-and,Congressman Harris Releases Statement After Voting Yes on the Protection of Women and Girls Sports Act,2023-04-20,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) released the following statement after voting yes on the Protection of Women and Girls Sports Act which passed today in the House of Representatives by a 219-203 vote. The protection of Women and Girls Sports Act will make it a violation for a recipient of Federal financial assistance who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit a person whose sex is male, to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls. Congressman Harris Statement: “It is both evidence-based and obvious to anyone with common sense, that clear physiological differences exist between the performance of biological men and women in sports. Only woke politics, which is running rampant in the Biden Administration, would allow students to compete based on their stated gender identity rather than their biological sex. Women and girls’ sports must be protected from woke identity politics and I was proud to vote yes on the Protection of Women and Girls Act which will make it a violation for a recipient of federal funds to permit a person whose sex is male, to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/final-day-tax-season-congressman-harris-urges-senate-pass-bill-defunding-joe,"On Final Day Tax Season, Congressman Harris Urges Senate to Pass Bill Defunding Joe Biden’s Army of 87,000 IRS Agents",2023-04-18,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, as millions of Americans file their taxes on this last day of tax season, Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) released the following statement highlighting the increase in taxes millions of poor and middle-class Americans will pay due to Joe Biden’s reckless spending, historic inflation, and bad economy. Congressman Harris also urged the Senate to pass the House of Representative’s Republican led Bill that permanently defunds Joe Biden’s army of 87,000 IRS agents. Last year, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that as a result of the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, nearly every tax bracket would pay more in taxes with those making below $10,000 seeing the largest increase. Today, we see that coming to pass as millions of American taxpayers see less value in their tax refunds due to inflation caused by the Biden Administration’s increased and reckless spending. The Inflation Reduction Act also significantly expanded the budget for the Internal Revenue Service, providing nearly 80 billion in funding for 87,000 new IRS agents. Early this year, as the first piece of legislation passed in the new majority, Republicans defunded this measure and sent it to the Senate. Congressman Harris Statement: “As tax season concludes today, it is important to remember that millions of hard-working American families are paying nearly $371 more per month on expenses due to historic inflation and poor economic policy. With inflation remaining at historic levels, the last thing any hard-working American taxpayer needs is harassment from thousands of additional IRS agents. We don’t need more attacks on the middle class, we need more common sense and fiscal responsibility and on this final day of tax season, I urge the Senate to permanently defund Joe Biden’s army of 87,000 IRS agents.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/bipartisan-maryland-delegation-urging-commerce-secretary-declare-state,Bipartisan Maryland Delegation Urging Commerce Secretary to Declare State of Emergency for Chesapeake Bay Fisheries,2023-04-06,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – The full Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollenand Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes,Kweisi Mfume,Andy Harris, M.D., Jamie Raskin,David J. Trone and Glenn Ivey, are urging U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to make a disaster determination as requested by the State of Maryland to begin addressing damage to the local seafood industry by the invasive blue catfish, flathead catfish, and snakeheads. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to provide disaster assistance to the fishing industry when fish populations decline or other disruptions cause economic losses. “Our state is a leading partner in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, designed to restore this national treasure and natural resource. One of the goals of the agreement, Sustainable Fisheries, is to protect, restore, and enhance finfish, shellfish, and other living resources, their habitats and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries, and provide for a balanced ecosystem in the watershed. This goal is being undermined by rapid range expansion and population growth of invasive species, particularly of blue catfish, with deleterious impacts on the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem,” the lawmakers wrote. “Timely determination of a commercial fishery failure offers a significant federal tool to provide economic assistance to Maryland fishery participants, coastal communities, and predominantly small seafood businesses.” Last month, Governor Wes Moore sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo asking the Department of Commerce to declare the expanding population of invasive fish species—including blue catfish, flathead catfish, and snakeheads— an ongoing commercial fishery disaster in the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service within the Department of Commerce will conduct an evaluation of the information provided by the requester. Following a determination by the secretary, NOAA Fisheries works with affected entities to distribute congressionally appropriated funds to support the fishing industry. In previous instances, direct federal financial assistance has been provided to fishermen and fishing communities in the form of grants, job retraining, and low-interest loans. Assistance also has supported efforts to prevent or lessen the effects of future disruptions to fisheries. The congressional letter follows and can be found at this link. The Honorable Gina M. Raimondo Secretary of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20230 Dear Secretary Raimondo: We appreciate your commitment to supporting fisheries management and the U.S. seafood market. On March 16, 2023, the State of Maryland submitted its request to the U.S. Department of Commerce for a fishery resource disaster declaration for multiple Chesapeake Bay species impacted by aquatic invasive species. We urge you to conduct an efficient, comprehensive review of all the required information needed to make a positive determination. Our state is a leading partner in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, designed to restore this national treasure and natural resource. One of the goals of the agreement, Sustainable Fisheries, is to protect, restore, and enhance finfish, shellfish, and other living resources, their habitats and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries, and provide for a balanced ecosystem in the watershed. This goal is being undermined by rapid range expansion and population growth of invasive species, particularly of blue catfish, with deleterious impacts on the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Blue catfish are generalist feeders that prey on a wide variety of local species, including those of economic importance and conservation concern. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 included at Division S, Title II, the Fishery Resource Disasters Improvement Act, facilitating the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) administration of fisheries disaster assistance. The law, enacted on a bipartisan basis, provides federal funding for dedicated NOAA personnel to accelerate review. We ask that you prioritize Maryland’s request when implementing these additional resources.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-joins-maryland-congressional-delegation-urging-focus,Congressman Harris Joins Maryland Congressional Delegation Urging Focus on Environmental Protection as State Negotiates New Conowingo Dam License,2023-04-06,2023,2023-04,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all Md.) wrote to Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain urging the Department of the Environment to ensure environmental protection measures for the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay Watershed are central to the new licensing agreement that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is considering for the Conowingo Dam. After a federal court invalidated FERC’s latest 50-year license, which excluded Maryland’s 2018 Water Quality Certification for the Dam, the lawmakers stressed that this relicensing process presents an opportunity for the state to incorporate the 2018 Certification’s requirements and advance critical efforts to curtail sediment flowing into the Watershed at the Dam, including from a significant amount trapped behind Constellation Energy’s Conowingo Hydroelectric Power Plant. In their letter, the lawmakers began, “As you consider a new licensing agreement for Conowingo Dam, we write to urge you to pursue the best possible outcome for the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River. As you know, the Chesapeake Bay is both a national treasure and an economic engine for our region, and for decades the federal government and watershed states have worked together to clean up this vital resource.” They also underscored the harmful impact that the accumulated sediment behind the Conowingo Dam has had on the Bay Watershed’s health, noting, “Over the last 95 years, millions of tons of sediment and nutrient pollution have washed downstream and accumulated to fill the Dam’s reservoir. During large storms, fast-moving water scours millions of pounds of this pollution from behind the dam and pushes it further downstream, undermining the region’s ability to meet our water quality goals for the Chesapeake Bay.” The lawmakers go on to stress, “Any licensing agreement is poised to have long-lasting implications not only for the Dam, but also for Maryland’s ability to meet our clean water goals. The 50-year FERC license that was vacated by the court did not contain the important cleanup requirements that Maryland found necessary to protect the water quality of the river and Bay. We are pleased that the State now has the opportunity to ensure any license granted for Conowingo has adequate measures to achieve meaningful progress on the health of the Chesapeake Bay and will continue to advance our regional efforts to meet the Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals.” “As FERC begins its process to relicense the Conowingo Dam, we urge you to ensure that the final license advances our federal and state efforts by including the 2018 Water Quality Certification, which provides the terms necessary to ensure that the dam meets state water quality standards and will aid our efforts to continue to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” they concluded. Full text of the letter can be viewed here and below. Dear Secretary McIlwain: As you consider a new licensing agreement for Conowingo Dam, we write to urge you to pursue the best possible outcome for the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River. As you know, the Chesapeake Bay is both a national treasure and an economic engine for our region, and for decades the federal government and watershed states have worked together to clean up this vital resource. Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) acted unlawfully by issuing a new 50-year license for the Dam that did not include the Water Quality Certification for the Dam that Maryland issued in 2018. This ruling has created the opportunity for a protective Conowingo license that holds Constellation Energy responsible for mitigating more of the pollution caused by the Dam’s operations and includes a funding mechanism for restoration. The Conowingo Hydroelectric Dam is located 10 miles upstream from the Chesapeake Bay on the Susquehanna River, which provides half of the fresh water – and a significant amount of the sediment and nutrient pollution – that reaches the Bay. Both the river and the dam are critical to the Bay’s water quality. Over the last 95 years, millions of tons of sediment and nutrient pollution have washed downstream and accumulated to fill the Dam’s reservoir. During large storms, fast-moving water scours millions of pounds of this pollution from behind the dam and pushes it further downstream, undermining the region’s ability to meet our water quality goals for the Chesapeake Bay. As states across the watershed work to reduce their downstream pollution to the Bay, addressing the pollutant issues at Conowingo Dam will be critical in our joint restoration effort. Any licensing agreement is poised to have long-lasting implications not only for the Dam, but also for Maryland’s ability to meet our clean water goals. The 50-year FERC license that was vacated by the court did not contain the important cleanup requirements that Maryland found necessary to protect the water quality of the river and Bay. We are pleased that the State now has the opportunity to ensure any license granted for Conowingo has adequate measures to achieve meaningful progress on the health of the Chesapeake Bay and will continue to advance our regional efforts to meet the Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:44:29Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/harris-statement-gov-moores-quadrupling-down-expensive-harmful-offshore-wind,"Harris Statement on Gov Moore’s Quadrupling Down On Expensive, Harmful Offshore Wind",2023-03-30,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) issued the following statement in response to Governor Moore quadrupling down on Maryland’s expensive, harmful offshore wind projects Thursday. Maryland ratepayers have already seen exorbitant increases in their electric bills recently, and those increases will pale in comparison to the ones they will see when they are paying the bill for the Governor’s new policies. Congressman Harris Statement: “Hard-working Marylanders have already seen a 24% increase in their electric rates thanks to the failed energy policies of the Biden administration. In an effort to advance his potential presidential candidacy, Governor Moore has proposed quadrupling down on the expensive and harmful Maryland offshore wind plans. In addition to the added cost of his new proposal to Marylanders’ monthly electric bills, there is now bipartisan opposition going forward with even the current plans to industrialize the offshore areas with 900-foot-tall windmills that may be causing the death and stranding of dozens of whales and marine mammals off the Atlantic Coast. We should never allow foreign companies to control our energy supply - much less harm our offshore marine environment doing it. It’s just plain and simple a bad, expensive idea.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-leads-letter-epa-behalf-constituents-concerning-lafarge-quarry,"Chairman Harris Leads Letter to EPA On Behalf Of Constituents Concerning the Lafarge Quarry in Baltimore County, Maryland",2023-03-15,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) Chairman of the Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Rural Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, wrote a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of his constituents addressing concerns that the Lafarge Quarry in Baltimore County, Maryland has recently been approved for a water and sewage extension despite the quarry still being considered an active mine by State of Maryland regulations. It has been brought to our office’s attention that this 400-acre site received approval for the extension of public water and sewerage in October. We have also been told that the next step is either approval of a Planned Unit Development or zoning changes in 2024. Congressman Harris Statement: “Many constituents have reached out to me to voice their concerns that Baltimore County is looking at potential development of the Lafarge Quarry, including possible residential units, commercial properties, a trade school, and/or distribution warehouses—despite concerns that the property could be contaminated. It is imperative to ensure the safety of all residents, that is why I am calling on the EPA to review the proposed development plan and conduct immediate testing of the Lafarge Quarry in close coordination with the state of Maryland and Baltimore County.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-write-bipartisan-letter-biden-officials-demanding-answers-offshore,Congressmen Write Bipartisan Letter to Biden Officials Demanding Answers on Offshore Wind Development,2023-03-14,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Andy Harris, Rep. Van Drew (R-NJ), Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) sent a bipartisan letter to the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, Richard Spinrad, and the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Liz Klein, inquiring an internal agency response to a May 2022 letter from a NOAA scientist warning of offshore wind development's likely impacts on marine species. ""There have been more than twenty whale deaths in just the past three months, an unprecedented number, yet this administration does not bat an eye,"" said Rep. Van Drew. ""Despite calls for investigations as to why endangered whales keep washing up on our shores, this administration instead has decided to expand offshore wind development, allocating $60 million for projects in President Biden's budget proposal. ""A NOAA scientist sent out a warning almost a year ago sounding the alarms on the long-term impacts offshore wind could have on the endangered North Atlantic right whale, yet there have been zero changes made to the development process. We need answers - why is this administration ignoring warnings from their own scientists? This administration cannot keep hiding behind the justification of combatting climate change when there are already signs of severe impacts to our environment as well as warnings of decades-long impacts to sensitive marine life,"" added Rep. Van Drew. “Despite over 18 whale deaths on the East Coast in the matter of a few short months, all Congressional inquiries have been met with no answers and only platitudes by the Biden Administration. This comes as reports show that even the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sent a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) back in May of 2022 questioning the adjacency of offshore wind energy leases to the endangered North Atlantic right whales. Today my fellow Congressional colleagues and I sent a letter to BOEM and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, seeking answers as to whether BOEM, or any other agency issued a response to the May 2022 letter and if that letter led to any changes in policy regarding how and where offshore wind is leased. The May 2022 letter clearly suggests a conservation buffer zone of 20 km to reduce risk to right whales. If this was not followed, it is ridiculous to keep dismissing the many whale deaths as a result of climate change when warnings were not heeded, and proper investigations were not conducted.” said Rep. Harris. BACKGROUND: On May 13, 2022, a letter from NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center was sent to BOEM's Office of Renewable Energy Programs highlighting concerns that the critically endangered right whale could be adversely affected by offshore wind development. The letter also highlighted concerns of increased risks to not only right whales, but other marine species along the East Coast. Specifically, the lawmakers asked: Did BOEM or any other agency issue a response to the May 2022 letter? If yes, I request you provide a copy of such response. Did that letter lead to any changes in policy regarding how and where offshore wind is leased? The letter suggests a conservation buffer zone of 20 km to reduce risk to right whales. Was this zone considered when identifying lease areas? Several current wind farm leases are well within 20 km of the coastline. How do you plan to mitigate the anticipated harm posed to right whales by the offshore wind turbine impacts that this letter identifies?",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/media-advisory-congressman-harris-attend-hearing-offshore-wind,Media Advisory: Congressman Harris to Attend Hearing on Offshore Wind Industrialization,2023-03-09,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC - Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) will join a hearing on March 16, 2023, at 2:00 PM EST, entitled ""An Examination into Offshore Wind Industrialization."" The purpose of the hearing is to gather testimony from experts in pertinent industries and groups that are affected by offshore wind development. WHO: Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD-01), Congressman Van Drew (R-NJ-02), and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ-04). WHAT: Hearing on Offshore Wind Industrialization Along the East Coast. WHEN: Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. EST. WHERE: Wildwood Convention Center, 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260 WITNESSES: Expert in the Fishing Industry Expert in Environmental and Energy Policy Organization Representative for Protecting Marine Ecosystems INVITED WITNESSES: ØrstedRepresentative",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-announces-intention-seek-limitations-federal-education-funding,Chairman Harris Announces Intention To Seek Limitations to Federal Education Funding For States That Lack or Reduce Their Existing School Choice Programs,2023-03-08,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) Chairman of the Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Rural Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, announced his intention to seek language in the FY24 Department of Education funding bill that would limit federal funding to states without school choice programs or states that reduce funding to existing school choice programs. In Maryland, despite running budget surpluses, GovernorWes Moore seeks to cut two million dollars in State funding from Maryland’s popular school choice program, Broadening Options & Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST). Governor Moore’s budget also includes language to completely phase out the program over the next few years. As a very successful school choice program, BOOST provides scholarships to more than 2,500 Maryland low-income families and gives these children a chance at a quality education. According to the latest data available from the BOOST program, nearly $3 million has been awarded to families in Baltimore City alone. Congressman Harris Statement: “We cannot tolerate the status quo with failing schools, especially for our underprivileged youth that deserve high quality education. I firmly believe Maryland families, and families across our country, deserve options to improve their children’s education. In Maryland, parents are concerned by the recent Maryland State test results showing that 23 schools in Baltimore had zero students proficient in math—despite high funding levels for public schools. Parents should not be forced to send their children into the same public-school systems that fail them year after year. Now that his campaign is over, Governor Moore clearly is beholden to the teacher’s union—and is not delivering on his promise to “Leave No One Behind.” States which don’t have, or are cutting their school choice programs, clearly don’t have the best interests of students in mind. That’s why I’m offering language to the FY24 Federal Department of Education Bill that would limit federal funds to states that do not have school choice options or are actively cutting funding from school choice programs already in place.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-andy-harris-and-pro-life-caucus-release-statement-american-college,Congressman Andy Harris and Pro-Life Caucus Release Statement on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ decision to ban pro-life doctors from presenting at its annual medical conference,2023-03-07,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Chip Roy (R-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) and Dr. Andy Harris (R-MD) today issued the following statement in response to reportsthat the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) banned an organization of pro-life doctors from presenting at its annual medical education conference taking place this week in National Harbor, MD: “The reported decision by ACOG—an organization purporting to represent all obstetrician–gynecologists—to exclude qualified health care professionals of maternal and childcare from presenting at an annual conference because of their pro-life positions is hypocritical and outrageous. Health care professionals should be welcomed to present at a conference that is designed to educate the next generation of OB-GYNs. The medical educators and doctors in training could have learned about treating both patients in a pregnancy—mother and unborn child—from the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs if ACOG had not been fearful of the truth about abortion being told. ACOG makes no secret of its extreme abortion agenda. Its detailed pro-abortion lobbying instructions to ACOG members, its ‘language guide’ touting euphemisms that hide the realities of abortion, and its stated intent to ‘increase the availability of trained abortion providers’ are just a few examples of its active and deliberate work to promote abortion on demand and spread misinformation about the pro-life movement. ACOG’s push to promote abortion is wildly out of step with basic medical facts and the views of most American health care professionals—including 93 percentof OBGYNs in private practice who do not provide abortion. Deliberately killing one of the two patients in a pregnancy through elective abortion is not health care.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-harris-holds-briefing-current-price-eggs,Chairman Harris Holds Briefing on the Current Price of Eggs,2023-03-02,2023,2023-03,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Rural Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, held a briefing on the rising price of eggs with Congressional members and expert panelists including USDA Chief Economist, Dr. Seth Meyer, Administrator of the Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Mr. Kevin Shea, egg market analyst for Urner Barry, Ms. Karyn Rispoli and others. Since January 2022, the average price for eggs increased from $1.92 to $4.82 per dozen and according to the Consumer Price Index, the price of eggs has increased 70 percent over the past year, including 8.5 percent since December alone. As inflation remains at an all-time high, American families continue to struggle with higher food prices. While consumers saw prices rise across their grocery bills, the most dramatic increase over the past year was the price of eggs. Congressman Harris Statement: “We all understand that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has decimated poultry flocks. Over 58 million farm-raised birds have died during the current outbreak, including 43 million laying hens. It makes sense that fewer layers have resulted in lower egg production, leading to higher prices for consumers. However, it seems baffling that a 5 percent decrease in layers has resulted in a 70 percent increase in egg prices. Economic research suggests that during the 2015 outbreak, the price of eggs increased 6 to 7 percent for every 1 percent loss in egg layers. During the current outbreak, the price of eggs has increased about 15 percent for every 1 percent loss in egg layers. It is important for our Subcommittee to understand the market dynamics causing this significant increase in prices, as well as actions USDA is taking to mitigate the issue for both producers and consumers.” Background Info: In April 2022, as the Ranking Member of House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Congressman Harris met with the USDA APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea and discussed the spread of the HPAI which continues to be a serious concern for the poultry industry. At the time, APHIS had recently detected several outbreaks of HPAI, which the agency defined as “a serious disease that requires rapid response because it is highly contagious and often fatal to chickens.” The goal for the meeting a year ago was to protect our poultry industry, and in turn, the American consumer.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:30:02Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-holds-briefing-rural-broadband-issues,Congressman Harris Holds Briefing on Rural Broadband Issues,2023-02-28,2023,2023-02,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) Chairman of the Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Rural Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, held a briefing with Congressional members and the recent nominee for Deputy Secretary at USDA, Xochitl Torres Small on the USDA’s ReConnect broadband program. Since its implementation in 2019, the ReConnect program has been well received but there are obstacles affecting the program including finding skilled labor, permitting delays and costs, and general mapping accuracy. Congressman Harris Statement: “We are all acutely aware of the lack of broadband access in rural areas across the country, and that’s why this is such an important issue. By USDA’s own estimates, 22% of rural areas and 28% of Tribal lands lack fixed terrestrial coverage of minimum broadband speeds. We need to improve those numbers and address the increasing demand for faster speeds. We certainly understand that funding helps, but it is going to take more than that to expand broadband--most notably maximizing limited resources through effective program execution. The purpose for today’s hearing was to hear more about the general state of the program, other challenges the program is facing, and how Congress can be helpful in getting it done.” Background on the ReConnect Program: In 2019, Congress established and provided funding for the ReConnect program. The program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to build broadband infrastructure to rural areas without sufficient access. Generally, the program defines rural areas as those populations with 20,000 or less inhabitants.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:18:08Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressional-ukraine-caucus-statement-marking-one-year-start-russian-war,Congressional Ukraine Caucus Statement Marking One Year Since Start of Russian War in Ukraine,2023-02-24,2023,2023-02,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC – Today, Congressional Ukraine Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Andy Harris (MD-01), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement marking one year since the start of the Russian War in Ukraine. “Today marks one year since Vladimir Putin began the brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine. In that time, Ukrainians have bravely faced down the onslaught of unprovoked Russian aggression on their lives, their homes, and their country.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:18:08Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/harris-announces-2023-congressional-art-competition,Harris Announces 2023 Congressional Art Competition,2023-02-23,2023,2023-02,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Congressional Art Competition is now open for submissions. The competition recognizes talented high school artists from around the country and is supported by the entirety of the U.S. House of Representatives. All high school students in Maryland’s First Congressional District are encouraged to apply. A winner from each congressional district will be chosen to display his or her artwork in the U.S. Capitol building for one year. Since the first Congressional Art Competition in 1982, over 650,000 high school students have submitted their artwork to the competition judges. For full competition guidelines and the student release forms, please visit Congressman Harris’ website at harris.house.gov. Go to the “Services” tab at the top of the screen and click on “Art Competition.” Artwork can be submitted to any of our district offices on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays. Please call one of the office’s listed below to schedule a time to drop off your artwork. Bel Air District Office – 410-588-5670 Kent Island District Office- 410-643-5425 Salisbury District Office- 443-944-8624 The deadline for submissions to our office is April 24, 2023. Congressman Harris Statement: “I am pleased to announce that the House of Representatives is sponsoring the 2023 nation-wide Congressional art competition this spring, and I look forward to recognizing the talented young artists of Maryland’s First District. I am continuously impressed by the submissions we receive, and I eagerly anticipate seeing the winning piece from our district hanging in the U.S. Capitol as I walk to vote each session.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:18:08Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-statement-baltimore-county-detective-injuries-during,Congressman Harris Statement on Baltimore County Detective Injuries During Dangerous Criminal Arrest,2023-02-10,2023,2023-02,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) issued the following statement in response to the two officers injured during the hours-long criminal pursuit of David Linthicum. Congressman Harris Statement: ""Yesterday as a brave Baltimore County Detective pursued a wanted criminal, he was injured in the line of duty and is surviving on life support. I am holding this brave detective and his family in my prayers. I am also praying for the full recovery of the second officer injured during the same criminal pursuit and am receiving regular updates on the improvement of both officers. Each and every day, police officers risk their own lives to protect the lives of the greater community and after this criminal pursuit, I want to thank our local police officers for their service, courage, and bravery during this dangerous criminal arrest.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:18:08Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-harris-and-van-drew-renew-calls-windmill-moratorium-following,Congressmen Harris and Van Drew Renew Calls for Windmill Moratorium Following Repeated Whale Deaths,2023-02-02,2023,2023-02,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Following the death of two more whales last week, Congressmen Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) and Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) are jointly renewing their calls for the immediate halt of windmill development until it can be scientifically proven that windmill construction is not a contributing factor in the unprecedented 14 whale deaths along the East Coast since December 1st. Congressman Harris Statement: “Over the weekend, the nation watched as two more whales washed up along the East Coast. While NOAA insists that they have no scientific evidence pointing to offshore wind energy projects as the proximate cause of death, they offer no scientific evidence provingthat these projects are not contributory causes of death. I am renewing my call for a windmill project moratorium until it can be definitively proven that windmill projects are not contributing to the repeated whale deaths that we are now witnessing on almost a weekly basis.” Congressman Van Drew Statement: “From the beginning, I have expressed my concerns and opposition with offshore windfarms moving forward without substantial evidence to show how it will affect our environment, our industries, and marine life,"" said Congressman Van Drew. ""And now, attention is finally being drawn to the industrialization of our coastline because of these tragic whale deaths. Not a single concern has been raised by our president or environmentalists after another whale washed ashore yesterday morning, amounting to over a dozen in less than two months. Why has there not been an investigation? Why have Democrats been silent on the issue? We must investigate these deaths and get to the bottom if offshore wind activity is the cause; all offshore wind activity must end immediately until proper examinations and investigations are conducted.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:18:08Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-calls-moratorium-windmill-construction-following-death,Congressman Harris Calls For Moratorium on Windmill Construction Following Death of Whale On Assateague Island,2023-01-19,2023,2023-01,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) issued the following statement following the death of yet another whale, this time on Assateague Island. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: ""Following the death of yet another whale, this time on Assateague Island, I am calling for an immediate moratorium on windmill construction and related underwater geotechnical testing until it is definitively proven that this construction and testing are not the cause of the repeated whale deaths. NOAA has offered zero evidence that this construction, including geotechnical testing, is not the cause of death. I am also calling for a full and transparent release of necropsy results, including the necropsy results of the whale ear structures which should be removed for examination to determine whether sonar actively contributed to the cause of death. Even a vessel strike is still consistent with injury from seismic testing as that testing may interfere with the whale’s hearing and senses - some think causing long lasting damage. We need to take the time to gather proper scientific data, act in full transparency, and not rely upon FAQ platitudes for these projects, their construction, and the impact they may have upon our environment. Until such actions occur, I am calling for a complete shutdown of windmill construction.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:08:17Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-statement-being-named-chairman-house-appropriations,Congressman Harris Statement on Being Named Chairman of House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee,2023-01-16,2023,2023-01,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) issued the following statement following his appointment as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies subcommittee. Federal departments funded through this subcommittee’s annual appropriations bill include the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Farm Credit Administration. Dr. Harris has served on the Appropriations Committee since 2013 and has served on this subcommittee since 2015. Congressman Harris issued the following statement: ""It is an honor to be named Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies subcommittee. Agriculture is both a critical sector in our country’s economy, and the economic backbone of Maryland's First Congressional District. Additionally, as a physician, I am excited for the opportunity to work with the FDA to ensure the safety and efficacy of the latest developments in drug and medical device research, as well as food safety. I look forward to the important work we will do in the coming months as we address the many issues in this subcommittee’s jurisdiction.” Additionally, full committee Chairwoman, Kay Granger issued the following statement: “I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Dr. Andy Harris to serve as chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies. Dr. Harris served this subcommittee as acting ranking member, and I am confident that his knowledge of the agriculture economy and his background as a physician will be important assets as he leads it forward in our new Congress.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:08:17Z https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-statement-speaker-vote,Congressman Harris Statement On Speaker Vote,2023-01-11,2023,2023-01,Republican,House,MD,Andy Harris,H001052,harris.house.gov,harris,https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD), released the following statement on his vote for Kevin McCarthy for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Statement: “Washington and Congress are broken. If the agreement we were able to finalize over the last few days is implemented, it will be the greatest change in how the House operates and becomes much more responsive to the American people in at least two generations.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T23:08:17Z