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.
More on Environment
WASHINGTON, DC: On June 6, the House Committee on Appropriations passed the FY19 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) authored, and the committee agreed to, language addressing the proposed offshore wind turbines planned off the coast of Ocean City, MD. Congressman Harris released the following statement after the markup:
WASHINGTON, DC: On June 6, the House Committee on Appropriations passed the FY19 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) authored, and the committee agreed to, an amendment encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an outreach campaign for proper usage of fifteen percent by volume ethanol blended gasoline. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) made the following statement lauding the amendment's passage:
WASHINGTON, DC: On June 6, the House Committee on Appropriations passed the FY19 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. This legislation provides $73 million in funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program – the same funding level enacted in FY18. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus and member of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in support of this funding:
MARYLAND - The House Committee recently approved Congressman Andy Harris' amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill to study the impact of offshore wind.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration must now look at the potential effects of offshore wind projects on marine mammals and fish, as well as the need for any mitigation measures.
Congressman Andy Harris (R) MD-01 said the idea for a study came about when the commercial fishing industry came to him with concerns.
An amendment to legislation has been passed that requests the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study the effects of offshore wind projects on wildlife offshore Maryland.
The House Committee on Appropriations marked up the FY19 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill earlier in May.
Congressman Andy Harris authored, and the committee passed, an amendment ordering the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) "to study the effects of offshore wind projects on marine mammals and fish, as well as the need for any mitigation measures."
WASHINGTON, DC: On May 17, the House Committee on Appropriations marked up the FY19 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) authored, and the committee passed, an amendment ordering the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study the effects of offshore wind projects on marine mammals and fish, as well as the need for any mitigation measures. Congressman Harris released the following statement after the markup:
The House Committee on Appropriations yesterday, May 16, marked up the FY19 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. authored, and the committee passed, an amendment to prioritize funding for dredging projects in shallow channels, particularly in channels where shoaling can create hazardous barriers to maritime travel.
Olivia Rubio does the hard, tedious work of extracting crab meat on Hooper's Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Hooper's Island is part of chain of three sparsely populated islands in the Chesapeake Bay. After crossing a single bridge, the main road winds through picturesque watermen's villages and unpopulated areas. Hooper's is a center for seafood catching and processing.
HOOPERS ISLAND, Md. —
There is crab meat crisis on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, even though crabs are in good supply this season.
It's not a lack of crabs, but of crab pickers.
There are two schools of thought on how the lack of pickers could impact Marylanders. The price of live crabs could go down, while the cost of crab meat could skyrocket.The problem is rooted in new immigration policies by the Trump administration.
WASHINGTON DC: On May 16, the House Committee on Appropriations marked up the FY19 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) authored, and the committee passed, an amendment to prioritize funding for dredging projects in shallow channels, particularly in channels where shoaling can create hazardous barriers to maritime travel. Congressman Harris issued the following statement applauding the adoption of his amendment: