Public Record
Quality of Life and Andy Harris
Andy Harris says he fights for Eastern Shore families and the communities that depend on farming, fishing, good schools, clean water, and a fair economy. This page documents his voting record across seven areas that directly shape everyday life on the Shore: Agriculture, Education, Energy, Healthcare, Affordability, Jobs, and the Environment.
Agriculture
What Harris says publicly
Harris markets himself as the champion of Eastern Shore farmers. He chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, touts his Farm Bureau recognition, and frames himself as the defender of family farms and the "agricultural way of life" against federal overreach.
Voting record
Chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
Harris has chaired the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee since 2023, giving him direct authority over annual USDA funding levels for crop insurance, conservation programs, rural development, food safety, and nutrition assistance. (House Appropriations Committee; Congress.gov — Harris)
Secured $34 million increase for meat and poultry inspection
The FY2025 Agriculture Appropriations bill included a $34 million increase for the Food Safety and Inspection Service — a direct benefit to the Eastern Shore's poultry processing industry, which depends on federal inspectors to operate. (USDA FSIS; Congress.gov — FY2025 Ag Appropriations)
Recognized as "Friend of Farm Bureau" by Maryland Farm Bureau
Harris was recognized by the Maryland Farm Bureau for work in the 117th Congress, with the Farm Bureau citing his efforts to preserve family farms, safe food production, and environmentally sound farming practices. (Maryland Farm Bureau)
Voted against comprehensive Farm Bill packages
Harris has repeatedly opposed major Farm Bill packages — the primary federal framework funding crop insurance, conservation programs, rural development, and nutrition assistance. The Farm Bill is what allows Eastern Shore farmers to plan crop cycles, access cost-share programs, and maintain conservation practices. Disruptions affect lending, insurance, and farm income stability. (USDA ERS — Farm Bill)
Opposed conservation and climate resilience funding
Harris has opposed USDA conservation grants and climate-smart agriculture programs — despite representing a district facing saltwater intrusion, flooding, and soil degradation. Federal conservation cost-share programs help Eastern Shore farmers manage soil health, water quality, and crop stress from increasingly variable weather. (USDA NRCS; Chesapeake Bay Program)
Backed tariff policies that hurt Eastern Shore agricultural exports
Harris supported trade policy frameworks that triggered retaliatory tariffs from key export markets. Poultry, grain, soybean, and seafood producers on the Eastern Shore depend on foreign markets — particularly in Asia — that were disrupted by retaliatory tariffs. Large agribusinesses can absorb market shocks; family farms cannot. (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Family farms vs. corporate agriculture
The Eastern Shore is dominated by family-run operations — poultry growers, grain farmers, produce growers, watermen — who operate on thin margins and depend on federal cost-share programs, crop insurance, and stable export markets. Harris's voting record aligns more closely with large agribusiness priorities. Without Farm Bill investment and conservation support, the economic and competitive pressure to sell land or consolidate intensifies.
Poultry and grain — the Shore's economic backbone
Poultry processing and grain farming are the largest agricultural industries on the Eastern Shore. Federal meat and poultry inspection funding directly enables those plants to operate. Retaliatory tariffs from Harris-backed trade policies reduced export demand for Maryland grain and poultry in key foreign markets. Both harms hit the same communities.
Saltwater intrusion, flooding, and soil health
Eastern Shore farmland is increasingly threatened by saltwater intrusion from rising bay levels, flooding from severe storms, and soil erosion along tidal rivers. Conservation programs Harris has opposed are the primary tool farmers have to address these threats — with federal cost-sharing that makes adaptation financially feasible for operations that can't afford it alone.
What Harris says
“I fight for Maryland farmers and the rural communities that feed this country.”
How Harris voted
- Against comprehensive Farm Bill investment packages
- Against conservation and climate resilience program funding
- For tariff policies that triggered retaliatory harm to Eastern Shore poultry, grain, and seafood exporters
Education
What Harris says publicly
Harris presents himself as a champion of parental rights, local control, and "education freedom." He frames opposition to federal education spending as protecting families from Washington overreach — and himself as the defender of parents and students against a top-down system.
Voting record
Announced $387,500 research award to University of Maryland Eastern Shore
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded $387,500 to UMES. Harris announced the award in his role as district representative; the grant was made by an independent federal agency. (NIH — NIGMS; UMES — Research)
Championed Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine program at UMES
Harris submitted a federal community project funding request to help UMES establish a DVM program — a workforce pipeline that would benefit Eastern Shore agriculture and animal health industries. (UMES — Academic programs)
Voted against the American Rescue Plan — which included $122 billion in K-12 school funding
Harris voted against the American Rescue Plan, which included $122 billion for K-12 schools — funding used to hire teachers, reduce class sizes, address learning loss, and improve ventilation and safety. Eastern Shore school districts, which have smaller tax bases and fewer local resources than suburban districts, depended on this funding more than most. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Backed budget frameworks cutting Title I and Department of Education programs
Harris supported House Republican budget resolutions proposing significant cuts to the Department of Education, including Title I — the primary federal funding stream for high-poverty schools. Title I funds serve schools in Somerset, Wicomico, Dorchester, and other Eastern Shore counties where child poverty rates are among the highest in Maryland. (GovTrack — Harris report card)
Threatened to withhold Maryland's federal education funds over a local school board dispute (2025)
In August 2025, Harris wrote to Maryland's State Superintendent threatening to work with the Trump administration to withhold all of Maryland's federal education funding over a Somerset County school board dispute — a move critics said used the entire state's students as leverage in a local political conflict. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Rural schools depend more on federal funding
Eastern Shore school districts have smaller property tax bases than suburban Maryland counties. Federal Title I and education funding makes up a proportionally larger share of their budgets. Cuts that are manageable for Montgomery County or Howard County are structural for Somerset, Dorchester, and Worcester. Teacher recruitment, classroom support, special education services, and school safety programs all depend on funding Harris has voted to reduce.
UMES and higher education access
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is one of the Shore's most important institutions for first-generation college students, students of color, and students pursuing agriculture, health, and STEM careers. Federal research grants and program funding Harris has occasionally supported are real benefits. But they sit alongside votes against the student loan relief and Pell Grant expansions that determine whether Shore students can afford to attend UMES at all.
The Somerset County threat
Harris's 2025 threat to withhold all of Maryland's federal education funds over a local Somerset County school board dispute illustrates the tension between his "local control" rhetoric and his willingness to use federal funding as a political lever — threatening the very schools in his own district as collateral in a political dispute.
What Harris says
“I believe in local control of education and stand up for Eastern Shore students and institutions.”
How Harris voted
- Against the American Rescue Plan — which included $122 billion in K-12 school funding
- For budget frameworks cutting Title I for high-poverty schools
- Threatened to withhold all of Maryland's federal education funding over a local school board dispute
Energy
What Harris says publicly
Harris says he supports "energy independence," lower bills, and reliable power. He frames clean energy investment as government overreach and renewable mandates as a threat to jobs and reliability — positioning himself as the protector of working families from high utility costs.
Voting record
Co-chaired the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force — secured $93 million in EPA Bay funding
Harris serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force and helped pass $93 million in EPA Bay Program funding in FY2026, including $2 million targeting invasive blue catfish. Bay health directly affects the fishing, crabbing, and tourism industries that Eastern Shore communities depend on. (Rep. Elfreth — Bay Task Force press release)
Supports nuclear and hydrogen as clean energy alternatives
Harris has publicly supported federal investment in nuclear and hydrogen technology as lower-carbon alternatives — positioning himself as open to energy transition through technology rather than mandates. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest clean energy investment in U.S. history
Harris voted against the IRA, which included $369 billion in clean energy investments — tax credits for home efficiency upgrades, lower utility bills, and renewable energy development. Independent analyses projected it would meaningfully reduce household energy costs over time, particularly for rural and lower-income households that spend a higher share of income on energy. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Blocked offshore wind development near Ocean City
In 2017, Harris inserted an amendment banning federal funding for offshore wind within 24 nautical miles of the Maryland coast — blocking two state-approved wind farms planned 17 miles offshore that would have created construction and maintenance jobs and added clean, lower-cost power to the regional grid. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Voted against rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement
Harris voted against H.R. 9, which would have prevented U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement — removing the country from a global framework for coordinated climate action that directly affects the coastal flooding, storm intensity, and sea level rise the Eastern Shore faces. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Rural households spend more on energy
Eastern Shore households — particularly those in lower-income counties — spend a higher share of their income on energy than the state average. Home efficiency tax credits and utility cost reductions in the IRA that Harris voted against would have provided the most benefit to exactly this population. Blocking that investment keeps energy costs higher for the families Harris says he's fighting for.
Offshore wind jobs that didn't happen
The two wind farm projects Harris blocked would have created construction, maintenance, and engineering jobs accessible to Eastern Shore workers — and added renewable electricity capacity to a grid that serves the region. The projects were state-approved. Harris used a federal spending rider to override the state's decision and the economic opportunity that came with it.
Climate risk and the Shore's future
The Eastern Shore faces among the most direct climate risks of any congressional district in Maryland: sea level rise, tidal flooding, saltwater intrusion into farmland, and increasingly severe storms. Each vote against climate frameworks and coastal resilience investment increases the long-term cost — in property damage, agricultural loss, and infrastructure replacement — borne by Shore residents and taxpayers.
What Harris says
“I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that protects jobs and lowers costs for families.”
How Harris voted
- Against the Inflation Reduction Act — $369 billion in clean energy investment and lower household energy costs
- Blocked state-approved offshore wind farms that would have created jobs and added clean power
- Against rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement
Healthcare
What Harris says publicly
Harris is a physician in Congress who says he stands for affordable, accessible healthcare for all Eastern Shore families. He emphasizes patient choice, opposes "government takeovers" of medicine, and presents his medical background as evidence of special understanding of the healthcare system.
Voting record
Championed the Veterans Choice Program for rural veterans
Harris advocated for the Veterans Choice Program, which allows Eastern Shore veterans to receive care locally rather than traveling across the Bay to Baltimore VA facilities. (VA — Veterans Choice Program)
Secured grants for Eastern Shore community health centers
Federal grants were awarded to Choptank Community Health System, Three Lower Counties Community Services, and West Cecil Health Center — facilities that serve Medicaid and low-income patients across the Shore. Harris announced these grants in his role as district representative. (HRSA — Health Center Program)
Voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act
Harris voted repeatedly to repeal the ACA, which extended Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income Marylanders, closed the Medicare prescription drug donut hole, and protected patients with pre-existing conditions from coverage denial and premium surcharges. (Common Sense Eastern Shore)
Voted against the PACT Act — the largest veterans healthcare expansion in decades
Harris voted against the PACT Act, which expanded VA healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits — affecting an estimated 3.5 million veterans nationwide. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support. Harris was among the minority who voted no. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill — cutting Medicaid by $800 billion
Harris voted for legislation the CBO estimated would cut Medicaid by approximately $800 billion over ten years — the largest single Medicaid cut in the program's history — with an estimated 8.6 million people projected to lose coverage. Rural hospitals on the Eastern Shore depend on Medicaid reimbursements to stay financially viable. (CBO; KFF)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Rural hospitals and Medicaid reimbursement
Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury and smaller facilities across the Shore operate on thin margins heavily dependent on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. An $800 billion Medicaid cut translates directly into reduced payments to these facilities. When rural hospitals close or reduce services — labor and delivery, emergency care, surgery — there is no nearby alternative for Eastern Shore residents.
Pre-existing conditions and insurance access
The ACA's pre-existing condition protections prevent insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums to patients with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or chronic conditions. On the Eastern Shore — where rates of these conditions are higher than the state average — repeal would have exposed hundreds of thousands of residents to coverage loss or unaffordable premiums.
Burn pit veterans and the PACT Act
Maryland has a substantial veteran population with members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan where burn pit exposure was widespread. The PACT Act Harris voted against was specifically designed to streamline VA care and disability benefits for these veterans by recognizing their conditions as service-connected — removing the burden of proving individual causation for illnesses the VA now recognizes as presumptively linked.
What Harris says
“As a physician in Congress, I fight for affordable, accessible healthcare for Eastern Shore families.”
How Harris voted
- Against the ACA — which covered pre-existing conditions and extended Medicaid — repeatedly
- Against the PACT Act — blocking expanded VA care for burn pit veterans
- For the One Big Beautiful Bill — cutting Medicaid by $800 billion, projected to cost 8.6 million people their coverage
Affordability
What Harris says publicly
Harris positions himself as a fiscal conservative fighting for working families. He blames rising costs on "reckless federal spending," says he opposes tax increases on everyday people, and frames himself as protecting household budgets from Washington. He regularly invokes housing costs, grocery prices, and fuel costs as evidence of Democratic failure.
Taxes
Supported Maryland gas tax holiday extension (2022)
Harris backed extending Maryland's gas tax holiday through the end of 2022 — providing direct, immediate relief to Eastern Shore commuters and working families during a period of unusually high fuel prices. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Voted for the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — which overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy
Harris voted for the TCJA, which permanently slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% while providing much smaller, temporary benefits to middle- and lower-income households. The Tax Policy Center found the top 1% received an average $61,090 cut by 2025, while the bottom 60% of households received under $500. Corporate savings went largely to stock buybacks — which rose more than 50% — rather than worker wages. Brookings found the law "disproportionately increased incomes for the most affluent." (Econofact; Brookings)
Voted against the corporate minimum tax — protecting companies that paid nothing
Harris voted against the Inflation Reduction Act's 15% corporate minimum tax, designed to ensure large, profitable companies paid at least a floor rate after years of paying nothing. He simultaneously backed budget frameworks cutting Medicaid, SNAP, and education — programs working families depend on — to offset the cost of those tax cuts. Cutting taxes at the top while cutting services at the bottom is itself a transfer of resources from working families to wealthy ones. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Housing
Championed Shore Regional Medical Center construction — community infrastructure investment
Harris secured federal community project funding for the Shore Regional Medical Center expansion in Chestertown — an investment in the healthcare infrastructure that anchors communities and supports local economic stability. (Congress.gov — Community Project Funding)
Voted against the American Rescue Plan — which funded rental assistance and housing programs
Harris voted against the American Rescue Plan, which included emergency rental assistance that kept thousands of Maryland households from eviction during the pandemic — and local government aid used to fund affordable housing programs. On the Eastern Shore, where housing stock is aging and rental vacancy rates are low, this relief prevented a wave of displacement. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Backed budget frameworks cutting HUD and rural housing assistance
Harris supported House Republican budget resolutions that proposed significant cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and USDA rural housing programs — reducing mortgage assistance, rental subsidies, and community development grants that help lower-income Eastern Shore residents afford stable housing. (GovTrack — Harris report card)
Tariffs
Backed counter-China supply chain measures
Harris has supported legislation reducing U.S. dependence on Chinese supply chains for energy, technology, and pharmaceuticals — an approach that supporters argue strengthens domestic production and long-term economic security. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Supported broad tariff authority — raising prices for families and farmers
Harris supported trade policy frameworks that gave the executive branch broad tariff authority — contributing to the sweeping tariffs of 2025 that raised costs on imported goods including building materials, appliances, electronics, and agricultural inputs. Economists across the political spectrum found that these tariffs function as a tax on American consumers and businesses, with costs passed directly to households. The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimated the tariffs would cost the average American household over $2,000 per year. (Penn Wharton Budget Model; GovTrack — Harris votes)
Backed tariffs that triggered retaliatory harm to Eastern Shore agricultural exports
Tariff policies Harris supported prompted retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners — particularly in Asia — that reduced export demand for Maryland poultry, grain, and seafood. Eastern Shore farmers who depend on foreign markets for a significant share of their income had no protection against those losses and no mechanism to recover them. (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Tax cuts that don't reach working families
The TCJA tax cuts Harris voted for — and extended via the One Big Beautiful Bill — overwhelmingly benefited corporations and high-income households. Eastern Shore workers in poultry processing, agriculture, hospitality, and retail saw an average benefit of under $500 while the top 1% saw over $61,000. The same bill expanded the deficit, which Harris has since used to justify cutting Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance — programs those same working families depend on.
Housing insecurity on the Shore
The Eastern Shore faces a housing affordability crisis driven by low wages, limited housing stock, and rising costs. Rental assistance, rural housing loans, and community development grants that Harris has voted to cut or block are the primary federal tools available to Shore residents who cannot afford market-rate housing. Without these programs, families face displacement, longer commutes, and housing insecurity — not because of federal overreach, but because of its absence.
Tariffs as a hidden tax on Shore households
The broad tariff authority Harris supported functions as a consumption tax on everyday purchases — building materials, appliances, electronics, and food inputs all cost more when tariffs raise the price of imported goods. On the Eastern Shore, where incomes are below the state average and households spend a higher share of income on necessities, a $2,000-per-year tariff cost hits harder than it does in wealthier parts of the state.
What Harris says
“I fight to keep costs low for Eastern Shore families and oppose policies that take money out of their pockets.”
How Harris voted
- For the TCJA — giving the top 1% a $61,090 average cut while the bottom 60% got under $500
- Against emergency rental assistance and housing programs for families facing eviction
- For broad tariff authority — raising consumer prices an estimated $2,000+ per household per year
- For the One Big Beautiful Bill — adding $4.1 trillion to the debt while cutting services working families depend on
Jobs
What Harris says publicly
Harris presents himself as a champion of job creators, small business, and Eastern Shore workers. He frames deregulation and tax cuts as the engines of job growth and himself as the defender of local economies against Washington overreach.
Voting record
Delivered $8 million for Eastern Shore freight rail upgrades
Harris secured $8 million for the Enhancing Eastern Shore Freight Rail Growth and Reliability Project, repairing MDOT freight rail lines in Kent and Queen Anne's Counties — directly supporting businesses that rely on rail for goods movement. (MDOT — Rail programs)
Secured $40 million for a new dredging vessel protecting maritime jobs
Harris led a bipartisan coalition to secure $40–50 million for a replacement U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging vessel — protecting navigation channels critical to the Ocean City fishing industry, port operations, and commercial vessel access. (Dredging Today)
Voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Harris voted against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — $1.2 trillion for roads, bridges, broadband, ports, and water infrastructure. Maryland used this funding for multiple Eastern Shore projects. The bill passed with substantial Republican support; Harris voted no. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Voted against the CHIPS and Science Act
Harris voted against the CHIPS and Science Act, which invested in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research, and workforce development — a bill that created American manufacturing jobs and reduced supply chain vulnerability on products from cars to farm equipment. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Voted against Sandy relief — denying recovery jobs to Eastern Shore communities
Harris voted against Superstorm Sandy emergency relief in 2012, which would have funded recovery and construction work in Crisfield and other Shore communities devastated by the storm. Crisfield took years longer to recover without the infrastructure investment that relief would have enabled. (Common Sense Eastern Shore)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Infrastructure jobs that didn't happen
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Harris voted against funded road and bridge repairs, broadband expansion, port upgrades, and water system improvements across rural America — including multiple projects in Maryland. Construction and infrastructure jobs are among the most accessible to working-class Eastern Shore residents who don't hold college degrees. Voting against the bill means those jobs went to other districts.
Broadband and the rural economy
Broadband access is a prerequisite for remote work, small business operations, precision agriculture, and telehealth. The Eastern Shore has significant broadband gaps in rural areas. The Infrastructure Act Harris voted against included the largest federal investment in rural broadband in history. Without it, Shore residents and small businesses compete at a disadvantage against communities with reliable high-speed access.
Tariff-related job losses in export industries
Retaliatory tariffs from trading partners hit Eastern Shore export industries — poultry, grain, and seafood — where job losses are concentrated. These are not abstract market adjustments: they are layoffs at processing plants and income losses for growers and watermen who have no alternative export market waiting. Harris voted for the tariff authority that enabled these policies and offered no targeted relief for the workers and farmers who absorbed the damage.
What Harris says
“I fight to protect Eastern Shore jobs, support workers, and grow the local economy.”
How Harris voted
- Against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — roads, bridges, ports, and broadband
- Against the CHIPS and Science Act — domestic manufacturing and supply chain jobs
- Against Sandy relief — denying recovery jobs to Crisfield and other Shore communities
Environment
What Harris says publicly
Harris points to his Chesapeake Bay work as evidence of environmental stewardship. He presents himself as a protector of the Bay, Eastern Shore waterways, and natural resources — while framing broader environmental regulations as government overreach that harms economic activity.
Voting record
Co-chaired Bay Watershed Task Force — secured $93 million in EPA Bay Program funding
As co-chair of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, Harris helped secure $93 million in EPA Bay funding for FY2026, including $2 million for invasive blue catfish control. This is a genuine, documented investment in the Bay's ecological and economic health. (Rep. Elfreth — Bay Task Force)
Restored $60 million in Chesapeake Bay cleanup funding
Harris was credited with restoring $60 million in federal Chesapeake Bay cleanup funding after earlier proposals had zeroed it out — protecting a resource that supports fishing, crabbing, waterfowl hunting, and tourism across the Eastern Shore. (Wikipedia — Andy Harris)
Lifetime environmental score of 3% from the League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters, which tracks votes on environmental protection, clean energy, and public lands, has given Harris a lifetime score of 3% — reflecting consistent opposition to legislation protecting natural resources, air quality, water quality, and climate. This score ranks him among the least environmentally supportive members of Congress. (Common Sense Eastern Shore; League of Conservation Voters Scorecard)
Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest conservation investment in U.S. history
Harris voted against the IRA, which included the largest federal conservation investment in American history — funding for wetland protection, coastal resilience, forest restoration, and climate adaptation. The Eastern Shore, with its tidal wetlands, coastal farmland, and fishery-dependent communities, stood to benefit substantially. (GovTrack — Harris votes)
Backed rollbacks of EPA regulations protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Harris has supported measures weakening EPA water quality and pollution standards — regulations that limit agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, and stormwater pollution into Bay tributaries. The same Bay he touts protecting in appropriations work is affected by the regulatory rollbacks he supports in other votes. (Chesapeake Bay Program)
Impact on Maryland's Eastern Shore
The Bay is the Eastern Shore's economy
Commercial and recreational fishing, crabbing, oystering, waterfowl hunting, and ecotourism together represent billions of dollars in economic activity and thousands of jobs on the Eastern Shore. All of it depends on Bay water quality. Harris's Bay Task Force work and funding restorations are real contributions. But a 3% lifetime LCV score — and votes against the largest conservation bill in U.S. history — show that those contributions coexist with a much broader pattern of opposition to environmental protection.
Sea level rise and tidal flooding
The Eastern Shore faces among the fastest rates of relative sea level rise on the East Coast. Tidal flooding is already affecting roads, farmland, and low-lying communities from Crisfield to Dorchester County. Climate resilience investments Harris has voted against — including coastal adaptation funding in the IRA — are the primary federal tools available to help these communities adapt before flooding becomes irreversible. Restoration costs after the fact are orders of magnitude higher than prevention.
Runoff, water quality, and the working Bay
Agricultural and stormwater runoff is the largest contributor to Bay dead zones — low-oxygen areas that kill fish and crabs and reduce the productivity of the watermen and fishing industries Harris says he supports. EPA water quality regulations and farm conservation programs Harris has opposed are the primary mechanisms for controlling that runoff. Bay health and economic health are not separate issues on the Eastern Shore — they are the same issue.
What Harris says
“I am committed to protecting the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore natural resources for future generations.”
How Harris voted
- Against the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest conservation investment in U.S. history
- Against climate resilience funding protecting coastal communities from flooding and erosion
- For rollbacks of EPA water quality regulations affecting Bay tributaries
- 3% lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters
Bottom line
What Harris says
“I fight every day for the Eastern Shore — for our farmers, our families, our workers, and the communities that make this place worth living in.”
How Harris voted
- Against comprehensive Farm Bill investment — the primary support structure for Eastern Shore agriculture
- Against $122 billion in K-12 school funding that rural districts needed most
- Against $369 billion in clean energy investment that would have lowered household energy costs
- For cutting Medicaid by $800 billion — putting rural hospitals and coverage at risk
- For tax cuts that gave the top 1% over $61,000 while working families got under $500
- Against the bipartisan infrastructure bill that funded roads, broadband, and ports
- Against the largest conservation investment in U.S. history — while the Bay and Shore face rising seas
The pattern is consistent across seven quality-of-life areas: Harris delivers targeted, visible wins — a freight rail grant here, a Bay funding restoration there — while voting against the broad, structural investments that would most improve everyday life for working families across the Eastern Shore.
Eastern Shore residents who farm, fish, raise families, pay bills, and depend on public services can weigh that record for themselves.