Personal, Professional, And Educational Background of the Representative Before They Entered Congress
Congressman Andrew Harris was born in Brooklyn, New York, in a family of immigrants. Thus, Harris is part of a small group of Congress members who come from similar families (“Membership of the 116th Congress”). Harris received his medical education at Hopkins, and there he practiced obstetric anesthesiology for almost 30 years (“About | Congressman Andy Harris”). Before his political work, he was mainly engaged in medical activities and continues to do so until now. As such, Harris is an atypical congressional spokesperson with a professional medical background and a long track record of medical work and military operations.
The Representative’s Political Background
Harris began his career as a politician back in 1998 when he was elected to the Maryland State Senate. With this provision, Harris hoped to correct the status quo at the time (“About | Congressman Andy Harris”). His successful work led him to be selected by Maryland’s First Congressional District to work for the House of Representatives in 2010. Thus, Harris currently has a 22-year political career. However, he cannot be called a career politician since he does not work for income.
The District the Member Represents
Maryland’s 1st congressional district almost covers the entire east coast of Maryland. It includes counties such as Somerset and Salisbury, along with lots of big cities such as Cambridge (“Maryland’s 1st Congressional District.”). Some of the most pressing issues for this region are environmental problems, especially eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay (Wolf). This bay is the largest estuary in the United States, so preserving this invaluable can be critical for residents. Finally, changing environmental conditions give rise to many health problems that also need attention.
The Representative’s Committee Assignments
Harris is currently a member of the Standing Committee on Appropriations. He has held a position since 2013 and served on several subcommittees during this time (“Andrew Harris”). However, he is neither a chair nor a ranking minority member, participating in the organization’s work on an equal footing with everyone else. This committee deals with financing the main areas of government activity (“About the Appropriations Committee”). Passing appropriation bills is also part of this organization’s responsibilities. Thus it is one of the most influential committees in the state structure.
Money the Representative Raised for the 2018 Election
In 2018, Andrew Harris excelled in the election race in Maryland’s 1st congressional district. The significant raising of funds secured this victory to underpin his campaign. At the end of 2018, Harris raised $ 1,666,395, almost $ 200,000 less than his opponent (“Maryland District 01 2018 Race”). According to statistics, the vast majority of these funds were deposited individually but not by Harris himself. In second place in terms of scale are PAC contributions, which accounted for almost 34 percent of the funds.
Percentage of the Vote the Representative Received in the 2018 Election
Andrew Harris’s 2018 win was pretty confident and booming. According to statistics, he collected 60 percent of all voters in the region in the election (“Maryland District 01 2018 Race”). Besides, these same statistics show similar results in Harris’ electoral races over the past ten years. Such data allow concluding that he is firmly entrenched in Congress and is unlikely to be re-elected soon. Additional confidence in this fact is given by the general statistics on the elections to the Congress, which show similar indicators for all the victorious congressmen.
The Campaign for Working Families Group’s Evaluation of the Member of Congress
The group I have chosen is the conservative non-partisan political group, “Campaign for Working Families.” On Vote Smart, this group participates in the categories “Abortion,” “Conservative,” and “Marriage, Family, and Children,” which quite accurately reflects their essence (“Campaign for Working Families”). This association is primarily concerned with preserving traditional family values, which also includes the rejection of abortion. Because of its focus, this group gives a high rating, 100 percent, to Andrew Harris, who is the father of 5 children and the grandfather of 7 (“Andy Harris”). Given the politician’s conservatism and close ties to his family, the group sees him as an ally.
The Recent Speeches and Public Statements of the Representative
More recently, Harris has focused on introducing medical marijuana to treat many severe psychological conditions, such as PTSD and chronic pain. The question is whether more research is needed before the direct introduction of marijuana into general use (“Andy Harris’ Public Statements”). Since Harris is a medical professional himself, he is well aware of the need for extensive research. On this issue, he takes a cautious stance, urging Congress members to approve H.R. 3797 and initiate further research on this substance’s effects.
The Political Party the Member of Congress Belongs
Andrew Harris has been a Republican since 1998 and displays many of the characteristics of the Republican Party. First, the Republicans are characterized by conservatism and adherence to traditional values. Considering that Harris is a father of many children, has close ties with his family, and devotes a lot of time to it, he can be called a conservative in this matter. Besides, many of his statements are tied with this theme, which can be judged through the evaluations of other groups, for example, the above Campaign for Working Families, which advocates pro-life. Consequently, Harris can be considered a typical Republican, championing the interests of his party.
Personal Attitude to the Representative
From my perspective, Andrew Harris has many positive and negative sides, so I am neutral towards him. On the one hand, he is a person who came into politics to change the status quo of the place where he lived. Besides, Harris is retired military and current qualified physician advocating for the interests of his patients. However, on the other hand, he has some conservative views that do not allow me to treat him purely positively. These include, for example, proposals to ban abortion and active propaganda pro-life. Thus, for me, Andrew Harris is a specialist and qualified politician, but I cannot say that he has earned my unequivocal approval.
Works Cited
“About | Congressman Andy Harris.” Congressman Andy Harris. Web.
“About the Appropriations Committee.” House Committee on Appropriations. Web.
“Andy Harris.” House Republicans. Web.
“Andrew Harris.” Ballotpedia. Web.
“Andy Harris’ Public Statements.” Vote Smart. Web.
“Campaign for Working Families.” Vote Smart. Web.
“Maryland’s 1st Congressional District.” Ballotpedia. Web.
“Maryland District 01 2018 Race.” OpenSecrets. Web.
“Membership of the 116th Congress: A Profile.” Congressional Research Service. 2020. Web.
Wolf, Rebecca. “Five Environmental Issues Facing Maryland.” Patch. 2018. Web.