Friend,
Progressive Maryland and two of our chapters with residents in the first Congressional District, Shore Progress, and Progressive Harford County, issued the following joint statement after the House of Representatives passed the Republican budget bill, which slashes Medicaid, strips healthcare from millions, and transfers billions of our taxpayer dollars to the wealthiest people and corporations in America.
"Andy Harris just made the most dangerous vote of his career. Instead of standing up for the families of Maryland’s 1st District, he stood by and let one of the most violent, greedy budget bills in modern history pass. He didn’t protect his constituents. He rewarded Trump and the billionaires.
This bill rips healthcare away from 17 million people, guts Medicaid, and robs Maryland of billions in critical federal funding. It means more sick kids, more uninsured seniors, and more working families pushed to the brink. It means our state will be forced to cut back on the programs and institutions our communities rely on, like housing, food assistance, schools, and hospitals.
Let’s be clear about what this bill truly is: a massive wealth transfer from working people to the ultra-rich. While Marylanders fight to make ends meet, MAGA Republicans gave tax breaks to billionaires, oil companies, and corporate CEOs. They turned their backs on us and voted to make the rich richer, while the rest of us are left to suffer. This budget reconciliation shows us what the Republicans and Andy Harris value most, and it’s not us. It’s cruel and will kill people. It will make us less safe, secure, and healthy.
Marylanders will not forget this vote. We won’t forget that Andy Harris helped push this through by voting 'present' last time. And we won’t forget that when it came time to fix his mistake, he doubled down and ignored the people in his district who need Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and access to hospitals and nursing homes.
But here’s what they forgot: we’re still here. We’re still organizing. And we’re going to turn our anger into action.”
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About the Organizations:
Progressive Maryland is a statewide grassroots organization building power for working-class Marylanders through issue-based organizing, electoral campaigns, and leadership development. Shore Progress and Progressive Harford County are local affiliates of Progressive Maryland that focus on improving economic conditions for working families, advancing justice and equity in Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Harford County communities. Together, these organizations have active members and volunteer leaders who live across all eleven counties of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District and are directly impacted by Rep. Andy Harris’s votes. Across the state, our members are committed to building a Maryland where healthcare, housing, and dignity are rights, not privileges.