Maryland’s Andy Harris to chair GOP’s conservative House Freedom Caucus

Rep. Andy Harris, R-1st-Maryland, is the new chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.

Harris, who represents Maryland’s Eastern Shore and is the state’s only Republican in Congress, is a founding member of the Freedom Caucus and was already serving on the right-wing caucus’s board of directors.

“I look forward to leading this caucus as we confront the reckless spending of the Biden-Harris Administration, work to secure our Southern Border and defend our constitutional freedoms in the House of Representatives,” Harris said in a statement Wednesday.

The late Tuesday vote came after the former caucus head, Rep. Bob Good, R-Virginia, lost his June primary reelection bid, leading him to resign from his chairmanship position last week. Good was set to lead the House Freedom Caucus through December 2025.

Good said on X that the chairmanship is in “capable hands,” referring to Harris’ election.

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Freedom Caucus played key role in ousting Kevin McCarthy

Since the House Freedom Caucus was formed in 2015, its members have contributed to turmoil for Republican leadership.

Notably, the caucus played a key role in the House leadership fight that ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, and brought in current Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana.

Harris is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and serves as the committee’s chair of the agriculture subcommittee.

His role on appropriations — the committee tasked with deciding spending for most of the government — and his new chairmanship is a win for the House Freedom Caucus, whose members say they want to limit government spending.

“In the annals of, ‘it could never happen,’ the House Freedom Caucus Chairman is also a cardinal on the House Appropriations Committee,” Former Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, wrote on X. “The @freedomcaucus continues to punch above its weight. Well done, Andy.”

The House Freedom Caucus is currently pushing to add conservative policies – including a measure that would require proof of citizenship to vote – to a temporary government funding bill.

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Rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge a top Maryland priority

Harris’ new role may help in the Maryland congressional delegation’s efforts to secure full federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in March.

Before the chairmanship vote, Harris told reporters Tuesday that he wasn’t sure if the authorization for the bridge could be attached to the upcoming continuing resolution to fund the government.

However, he said that because the authorization, if included, would be a part of a much larger bill, Republicans likely wouldn’t base their vote on the Key Bridge.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, said on Tuesday that Harris and the Maryland Democrats are helping in the House to get Key Bridge authorization through. Cardin told reporters that he is hopeful the authorization for the government to pay for the full repairs could be added to the continuing resolution.

Harris’ stance wanting the government to pay for the full Key Bridge repair project differed from the Freedom Caucus, which wanted to first look for liabilities from shipping companies before approving government funds.

Harris has served in the House since 2011. Before Congress, Harris was a Maryland state senator for 12 years.

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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Maryland’s Andy Harris to chair GOP’s House Freedom Caucus