Economy
We should not be satisfied with the historically low economic growth rate of the past decade. After years of soaring unemployment rates, runaway government spending, and a regulatory environment that is hostile to job creators, our economy is finally starting to recover. This recovery has been made possible by Congress working with President Trump to repeal burdensome regulations placed on employers by the previous administration. Government spending and regulation will not lead us to prosperity – only a vibrant private sector will.
Reforming the U.S. tax code is another key component to building economic momentum and growing our workforce. The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, and this tax rate is driving American companies to send their manufacturing and customer service jobs abroad. Lowering the corporate tax rate will keep large businesses from sending jobs overseas, and a simpler tax code would allow small businesses to save money and grow.
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WASHINGTON, DC: Today, the House Committee on Appropriations is considering the FY19 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) authored, and the committee approved, an amendment to permanently fix the H-2B visa program. The seafood processing industry and other employers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore depend on this program to hire temporary workers when they cannot find Americans interested in their job openings. Congressman Harris made the following statement after the amendment was passed:
CENTREVILLE — In a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen dated June 26, Republican Congressman Andy Harris, R-1st, along with 82 other U.S. Representatives, urged for more H-2B visas.
WASHINGTON, DC: On June 26, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) sent a bipartisan letter, signed by 82 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen in support of the H-2B visa program. The letter urges the Department of Homeland Security to issue additional H-2B nonimmigrant temporary workers visas, in response to historically high demand for H-2B visas this year. These visas are used by seasonal industries, including the Eastern Shore’s seafood processing industry, when businesses are unable to find American workers.
WASHINGTON — Maryland’s Board of Public Works has approved putting $375,000 toward a marketing campaign to help the state’s seafood industry, which has been hit by a labor shortage.
The vote on Wednesday is intended to help the crab industry after a change in the federal HB2 visa program left a number of Eastern Shore crab houses without the seasonal foreign crab-processing labor they’ve depended on for years.
The money approved by the BPW will go to a Maryland Department of Agriculture program that markets seafood sales.
WASHINGTON, DC: On June 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), a member of the Appropriations Committee, made the following statement lauding the bill’s passage:
WASHINGTON, DC: On June 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement in support of the bill’s passage:
“Today, the House of Representatives passed common-sense legislation to begin the long process of reining in our out of control federal spending. The nearly $15 billion that would be cut by this legislation sat untouched in various government accounts for years, and should be returned to the treasury.
WOOLFORD, Md. - It's no doubt that when you think of Maryland, you think of blue crabs. But this season has presented new issues that has made it tougher on the industry.
Their biggest hurdle has been the H-2B Visa Program. Usually, these operations are fully up and running with the help of those visa workers, but with a change in the program, they are now shorthanded.
WOOLFORD, Md. —
Rep. Andy Harris met with business owners impacted by a shortage of crab pickers Wednesday afternoon to hear their problems and pose long-term solutions -- and got an earful.
Congress and the Trump administration tightened the guest worker visa program. Because demand is so high, the Trump administration imposed a lottery to award them. It is keeping Mexican workers from making their seasonal trek to Maryland -- and many Eastern Shore businesses are feeling pinched.
WOOLFORD, Md.- Congressman Andy Harris visited Lindy's Seafood in Woolford on Wednesday afternoon to discuss issues local seafood leaders have with the H-2B lottery system.
WOOLFORD — Dorchester County crab meat processors recently received a glimmer of hope in an effort to save the Maryland crab season and the entire state crab industry.
Traditionally, Dorchester crab meat processors apply for federal H-2B visas for about 500 guest, seasonal workers, who in the past have come from Mexico.
But with a surge in H-2B applications associated with the rebuild of Texas after last hurricane season, the program, which is capped at 66,000 visas (33,000 for six months), used a lottery to give out visas.