Dear Friend,

This week as we commemorated National Police Week, I spoke on the House Floor to honor the memory of Wicomico County Sheriff Deputy, Glenn Hilliard, a brave Eastern Shore police officer who was killed in the line of duty while trying to arrest a wanted criminal on probation.

Officer Glenn Hilliard lived his life as a devoted husband, father, and police officer who was commonly referred to as a hero by his fellow officers on the Police force. On June 12, 2022, just a little under a year ago, Officer Hilliard was shot and killed by a fugitive who committed multiple felonies and was running from justice. Officer Glenn Hilliard served Wicomico County with honor, valor, and distinction. Officer Hilliard’s memory is most treasured not by how he died-- but how he lived—as a selfless and heroic police officer who put the safety of the community above his own.

In honor of Glenn Hilliard and so many other Law Enforcement officers, this week the House passed:

H.Con.Res.40 which recognizes and appreciates the dedication and devotion demonstrated by the men and
women of local law enforcement who keep our communities safe. The resolution also condemns calls to defund, disband, dismantle, or abolish the police.

My full House Floor speech can be watched Here

District Updates

Bipartisan Letter on Passport Issues:

Last month, Secretary Antony Blinken testified before the House Appropriations Committee
about the “dramatic” increase in passport requests, noting that the State Department is “getting
500,000 applications a week for a passport. That's 30 to 40% above last year.”

Congressional offices subsequently have been experiencing an influx of constituent requests for assistance on passports. Moreover, although the State Department issued roughly 22 million passport
applications last fiscal year, it is clear that applications this year are on pace to exceed that
number by 18%--suggesting that currently extended wait times could continue to increase.

I joined several of my colleagues in a bipartisan letter asking Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, Rita Bitter, for an update on their prioritization process and the about any delays so that constituents within my district can continue to have their passport issues resolved promptly.

Accessing VA Records:

If you are a Veteran in my district and would like to access to your service records or that of a family member, the Department of Veteran's Affairs has released an updated portal for these requests which can be located here.

In The News

My Recent Op-Ed: We Are Funding Our Children's Disease Doctor Visits With SNAP.

This week, I penned an op-ed with the Co-Founder of TrueMed, Calley Means, in which we expose the enormous high levels of taxpayer dollars being used to fun unhealthy food and sugary drinks in the Supplemental Nutritious Assistance Program (SNAP).

For lower-income Americans, SNAP is our county’s chief “nutrition” program, but with the current levels of government-subsidized junk food, the program really shouldn't have “nutrition” in its name. Today, much of our nutrition debate focuses on the health inequality of lower-income and minority Americans, while glossing over the root cause of the disparity—unhealthy government-funded food.

SNAP is re-authorized every five years in the Farm Bill, and this year as the Farm Bill comes up for debate, the question every lawmaker should be asked is a thought provoking, bipartisan, and moral one:

Should our government use taxpayer dollars to fund unhealthy food that is likely increasing the chronic disease and doctors’ visits of our children?

The full op-ed can be read here: We are Funding Our Children’s Disease and Doctor Visits With SNAP | RealClearPolicy

How We Can Help

If you have any issue with a federal agency, like the IRS, the VA, Social Security, Medicare, or passports, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. My office teams are ready to assist you. If you are interested in purchasing a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol, for a person or occasion, please visit my website or call my office at 202-225-5311. Below are links to services my office offers, and we hope to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Andy Harris, M.D.
Member of Congress

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