I wish I could stop writing about Andy “Handgun” Harris, but he won’t let me. First, he voted against the bipartisan bill to establish a commission to investigate the events of January 6. Then he voted against legislation responding to the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. With that second vote, I feel obligated to speak out. This man is not representing me. He votes incorrectly with a remarkable consistency.
Harris’ vote against the bipartisan commission was predictable. Andy is in Donald Trump’s pocket. A commission report that definitively established Trump’s role in inciting the January 6 insurrection would be devastating to him. More of his already dwindling group of supporters would throw in the towel. Worse yet, for Trump, the report could prompt civil or criminal actions tied to what he did on January 6 and the days preceding it.
Trump calls the shots for Andy on anything to do with stolen elections or the need to stamp out democracy. Do voters in the First District care about these issues? Are you aware of any listening session or other effort by Harris to determine how his constituents feel about investigating January 6?
More disturbing to me is Andy’s no vote on the hate crimes bill. In fairness, he was joined by 61 other Republicans, including QAnon follower Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), alleged sex-trafficker Matt Gaetz (R-FL), gun advocate Lauren Boebert (R-CO), right-wing dentist Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and a host of other Tea Partiers, Trumpers, and lunatics.
The bill, officially called the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, passed the Senate in April by a vote of 94-1. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (R) was the only dissenting vote. You may remember him as the guy who fist-pumped January 6 rioters as they approached the Capitol. Mr. Hawley plans to run for President in 2024 and, if Trump himself is not running (perhaps because he is incarcerated), he is an attractive choice for Trump’s endorsement.
According to The Washington Post, “The legislation would assign an official in the Justice Department to review and expedite all reports of hate crimes related to the coronavirus, expand support for local and state law enforcement agencies responding to these hate crimes, and issue guidance on mitigating the use of racially discriminatory language to describe the pandemic.”
Are there provisions in S. 937 that most of us on the Eastern Shore are against? I don’t think so. So why did Andy Harris vote no? The answer is that he is a rigid idealogue who could care less about the Asian Americans who are getting killed, beaten-up and otherwise harassed across the country.
House Republicans had little difficulty explaining their no votes. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) offered, “You can’t legislate away hate.” Maybe he’s right, but shouldn’t we try?
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), one of ex-president Trump’s strongest supporters, offered, “This violence, by and large, is happening in Democrat-controlled cities, many of which, interestingly enough, have defunded their police department.” He appears to have voted against the bill because of his view that the violence is occurring in “Democrat-controlled” cities. Is his vote intended to punish Democrats? Or is he trying to support his belief that police should not be defunded?
A search for a statement or explanation by Handgun Harris produced nothing. No tweets, no press releases, nothing.
If you are Asian American and living in the First District, you are, like the rest of us, left to guess why Harris voted no. That is wrong. Importantly, it would be unfair to Harris to suggest that he is indifferent to the violence against Asian Americans. It is not unfair to ask him who he thinks he is representing in Congress.
Had Donald Trump publicly urged his followers to vote for the bill, how do you think Andy would have voted?
The Eastern Shore not only deserves better representation in Congress, but we also desperately need it. As far as many of us are concerned, we would be better off with Andy’s seat left vacant.
J.E. Dean of Oxford is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and occasionally goldendoodles.
Michael McDowell says
And remember too, that Harris personally FUNDED the freshman Congressional campaigns of QAnon fan Marjorie Taylor Greene AND gun-nut Lauren Boebert. Harris used money from his big campaign chest to support not mainstream or even “Freedom” Caucus Republicans but complete radical right extremists like…..himself. He’s no “conservative.” He is an ideological hardest right culture-wars warrior. All blowharding, fearmongering, dividing, never uniting, partisan never bipartisan, politics-by-performance-art, negative never positive Harris. Irresponsible last summer on the daft open up Maryland front, comparing Gov. Hogan’s protective policies as like living in “North Korea….Communist China.” Harris is also a continual liar. Fact: he promised to term limit himself to 6 terms. Now he’s done a 180 and is running for a 7th! Not a single piece of legislation in 12 years in the House, and remember that the GOP was in the majority for a time. The sheer hypocrisy on that and also now, risibly, with the usual photo ops, driving around the Shores inoculating people now! Harris has no shame of course. Arrogant, thin skinned as hell, despises voters challenging him, holds rigged town halls, travels around with an armed bodyguard, with police all around. Rants about how the private sector can do everything better but has been at the public trough in the House and before that in the Annopolis senate for decades! And freelancing as a doctor too and getting extra pay for that. He isn’t paid to be a physician but a representative. Dr No, Dr. Do Nothing and nasty with it.
Stephen Schaare says
Hi Michael, I find your description of Nancy Pelosi a bit harsh for my sensitive ears.
John Dean says
Well said. Thank you for adding to the conversation.
Michael McDowell says
This nasty comment about her is so typical of partisan GOPers. Nancy, the first woman Speaker, a distinguished Marylander too, is a brilliant politician. She had Trump’s number and he knew it. Nancy is a class act. Harris is an anti democratic low rent blow in from Brooklyn, New York. And Republicans love to low ball women, and worse.