Agriculture
America depends on our farms for food, clothing, and thousands of jobs. Many farms are small family businesses that make up the economic and cultural backbone of Maryland's First Congressional District. As a Senator in the Maryland General Assembly, I helped promote and protect Maryland agriculture and poultry. I continue to do the same in the halls of Congress.
Farmers must be protected from unnecessary and harmful federal regulations that could hurt their ability to grow and create jobs. The estate tax must be eliminated because families should be able to pass farms down to the next generation without penalty. Private property rights have to be upheld – farmers should not be subjected to harmful land use laws that devalue their property and make it more difficult to do business.
More on Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced new recreational fishing management measures issued by NOAA Fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass for the 2026 and 2027 fishing seasons.
NOAA finalized the rule on April 29, 2026, with an effective date of April 30, 2026. The agency also implemented a new Recreational Measures Setting process on April 28, 2026, which will guide how recreational fishing limits are set moving forward.
For 2026 and 2027, NOAA approved the following measures:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA, sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) raising concerns about a delay in implementing updated recreational fishing measures and the impact on Maryland’s Eastern Shore economy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for awarding $1 million through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) to BSA Seafood LLC to expand invasive blue catfish processing in Maryland's First District.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement in response to Governor Wes Moore proclaiming March 20, 2026, as “MeatOut Day in Maryland,” which encourages Marylanders to reduce meat consumption in favor of plant-based diets.
The Moore Administration is encouraging Marylanders to reduce or eliminate meat consumption in favor of plant-based diets as part of a national campaign led by the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), an advocacy group that promotes eliminating meat from people’s diets through annual outreach campaigns.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (MD-01) issued a statement of support for Maryland Blue Catfish processors who are raising concerns about the proposed Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act, introduced by Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth and co-led by Congressman Robert Wittman.
WASHINGTON – Today, the Maryland Congressional Delegation – U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives Andy Harris, Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Sarah Elfreth, Johnny Olsewski, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, and April McClain Delaney – expressed support for the State of Maryland’s request for an evaluation of the Maryland oyster fishery for eligibility for a fishery resource disaster designation, and urged U.S.
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requesting that the agency declare an economic fishery disaster to provide immediate assistance to Maryland oystermen following this year’s devastating season. The request was made under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which authorizes federal emergency relief for fisheries affected by natural or economic disasters.
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Andy Harris, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration, is concerned that Maryland officials may have not done all they could to lower the Payment Error Rate in the Maryland SNAP program. Since hard-earned federal taxpayer dollars are concerned, the whistleblower allegations should be taken seriously and investigated at the state and federal level.
Statement from Congressman Harris:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), announced $40 million in FY26 Energy and Water Development funding for a new shallow-draft dredging vessel for East Coast navigation channels. The funding addresses sediment buildup that has limited vessel access in Maryland and other heavily used East Coast waterways.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration, hosted a House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee roundtable with Dr. Ben Carson, National Advisor for Nutrition, Health, and Housing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, focused on the connection between nutrition and chronic disease.