Environment
Growing up, I was taught that you should always try to leave a place better than the way you found it – and that's my philosophy when it comes to the environment. The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure that must be preserved for future generations to enjoy. My kids swim in it, our family catches crabs and rockfish out of it, and its economic impact on the Maryland's First Congressional District is immeasurable.
Watermen, oystermen, crabbers, farmers, hunters, restaurants, and the tourism industry depend on a healthy, clean Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood. I am committed to commonsense, multi-state solutions that protect the Bay and its precious waterways. In order to make meaningful progress, we need to make sure that all of the stakeholders have a seat at the table, and that everyone has a voice in repairing our beautiful estuary. If we don't receive "buy-in" from all active partners, we can never achieve the goal of a robust environment that our children will be able to appreciate. This does mean that other upstream states whose waters flow into the Bay must also do their part, and the federal government is a logical choice to make sure that happens.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) attended the 53rd White Marlin Open, joining anglers, tournament organizers, local officials, and members of the Ocean City community during one of the Eastern Shore's premier annual events.
Statement from Congressman Harris:
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), toured the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Murden dredging operations at the Ocean City Inlet as crews continue maintenance dredging ahead of the White Marlin Open.
The project will remove accumulated sediment from the inlet to improve navigation for commercial and recreational vessels during one of the Eastern Shore's busiest boating seasons.
Statement from Congressman Harris:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dredge Murden has begun maintenance dredging operations at the Ocean City Inlet. The project is expected to take approximately 15 days to complete, with work concluding before the start of the White Marlin Open.
Statement from Congressman Harris:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins for approving a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Maryland following the April 21 spring freeze, which caused significant crop losses across Maryland.
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. — Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), released the following statement regarding the two-year anniversary of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and concerns over rebuilding costs.
Statement from Congressman Harris:
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.