Latest news with #AndyHarris
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore avoids taking stance on Trump's school choice plan
BALTIMORE — Democratic Gov. Wes Moore isn't yet taking a stance on whether Maryland should opt into a new school choice program implemented at the federal level, as advocates and opponents rally over the issue. 'The Governor is committed to ensuring that every student in Maryland has the best education possible,' Moore's spokesperson Carter Elliott said in a statement. 'The Trump Administration's approach on this issue has never been tried before. We are evaluating all of the options to ensure Maryland students have the best opportunities to succeed.' The federal school choice plan was passed as part of President Donald Trump's expansive tax bill earlier this month. If Maryland opts in, taxpayers could choose to donate up to $1,700 toward private education grants in the state and receive the same amount back as a tax credit. A spokeswoman for Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, a Republican, wrote in an email that he strongly supports federal school choice and that '[e]very child — regardless of zip code, income, or background — deserves access to a quality education that fits their needs, not a one-size-fits-all system.' Maryland's U.S. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, also didn't say whether they would support Maryland opting in. 'I am committed to making sure all of Maryland's students get the education they deserve,' Alsobrooks said in an emailed statement on Monday. 'Meanwhile, this Administration is taking the opposite approach — working to dismantle the Department of Education and undermine the promise of an education for all Marylanders, by further eroding the resources districts, teachers, and students desperately need to succeed.' Van Hollen said in an emailed statement, 'Instead of working to achieve the goal of ensuring that every child receives a quality education, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are attacking public schools and the federal resources they depend on to support students while pumping more dollars into private education.' School choice advocates argue that opting in would be a win for Maryland families who are dissatisfied with public school options, while opponents contend that the program would remove students from public schools, depriving them of funding and resources. School choice is complicated to implement and it's been a 'sticky issue' in the past, said Roger Hartley, dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. He added that with another election season on the horizon, politicians may avoid taking sides on the issue without first 'having done their homework.' Maryland has a small private school voucher program at the state level — Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST). It provides around $9 million in the form of vouchers to help families send their kids to private and religious schools. Moore has proposed cuts to the program in the past, which began under his Republican predecessor, Larry Hogan, though BOOST has continued so far during Moore's administration. Funding debate Advocates for the new federal program note that it would be funded at no cost to Maryland. 'It doesn't cost the state a dime,' said Jeff Trimbath, president of the Maryland Family Institute, noting that the state faced significant deficits that it had to adjust for during the past legislative session. But Liz Zogby, co-chair of the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition, noted that even though the program doesn't cost state dollars, it will take money out of public schools if they lose enrollees. This can be especially harmful for students with disabilities, who need public school resources and may not be able to attend a private school, she said. 'Let's say you have a student who is not being well-served in a private school, not making progress, acting out, having challenging behaviors because they're not being well-supported — that school can just expel them,' Zogby said. But in public schools, she said, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting would be convened to figure out how to help the child. 'So they don't just kick kids out,' she said. Whom does school choice benefit? There's also a debate over which students would benefit from the program. Kalman Hettleman, a former member of the Baltimore City school board and the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, said school choice funds 'go mainly to people of means,' since scholarships may not cover the full cost of a student's private school tuition. 'In many cases, the education savings accounts and vouchers will be able to go to people who have already left the public schools [and] are paying the whole private schools' bill already,' Hettleman said. Trimbath noted most schools offer other scholarships that could supplement a school choice scholarship, and that most schools 'means-test' their support, offering more money to lower-income students. Garrett O'Day, deputy director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, urged Moore and state education leaders to opt into the program and said that even if Maryland doesn't participate, Maryland taxpayers can still choose to donate to scholarship organizations in other states. 'In other words, if the state doesn't opt in, Maryland dollars will go out of state to the detriment of Maryland kids who need it, taking away money available for education for both public and private school students,' he wrote in an email. 'Unpredictable federal funding cuts' Paul Lemle, president of the Maryland State Education Association, advocated against the opt-in for Maryland. 'We strongly oppose giving away public funds to private schools as Maryland public schools — which serve 90% of Maryland students — continue to face chaotic, drastic, and unpredictable federal funding cuts to schools that will hurt students and the supports they depend on,' he said in a statement. Harris' spokeswoman wrote in his statement that school choice is 'not about taking money away — it's about giving parents control.' 'The federal plan is designed to empower families, not bureaucracies,' she said in an email to The Sun. 'When parents can choose the best education for their child, all schools — public and private — must compete to improve. That's a win for every student, including those with disabilities, who will benefit from increased options tailored to their needs.' A spokesperson for the Maryland State Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment. _____
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Abbotsley marks 25 years of village scarecrow festival
Villagers say a 25-year-old scarecrow festival "brings their community together" , with some people even starting their creations at Christmas. Lynn Norris, from Abbotsley in Cambridgeshire, said a resident introduced the idea of scarecrows to the Feast Week festivities in believed the village was the first in the area to include scarecrows and said people were often amazed by their number and size. The scarecrow festival, which typically takes place in the middle of July during Feast Week, is held in honour of St Margaret of Antioch, Patron Saint of its 13th-century church. James Dixon, 45, who moved from London 12 years ago with his wife Sonya, 50, said it was lovely being part of a community tradition."We have come to the village and been really looked after since moving here so I think it's really important to get involved in a tradition like this," he said. Andy Harris, 74, said he started off by making a Spitfire and added two more scarecrows in a nod to the famous photograph of a kissing couple taken in New York's Times Square in 1945. He previously won first prize with his scarecrow recreation of the barricades in Les Misérables and has also been a judge for the competition. "I just enjoy doing it," Mr Harris said. "I feel I'm quite artistic and like doing these sorts of things, I'm now retired so I've got time to spend a bit more time doing it and I enjoy the reactions from people who see it." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CBS News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
House expected to vote on historic crypto bill, the GENIUS Act, after right-wing rebellion
Washington — The House is expected to vote Thursday on a landmark piece of legislation to regulate cryptocurrency after its fate appeared in limbo when right-wing Republicans staged a rebellion that brought the floor to a standstill. The bill, known as the GENIUS Act, is set to become the first major crypto legislation ever passed by Congress. On Tuesday, a dozen conservatives sank a procedural vote to advance three crypto bills, including the GENIUS Act, which would establish a regulatory framework for the $250 billion market for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency tied to the value of an asset like the U.S. dollar. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, abruptly canceled the remaining floor votes and the holdouts went to the White House to meet President Trump, who later announced that they "have all agreed" to fall in line. But drama unfolded during Wednesday's procedural vote when a few holdouts initially voted against moving forward before dropping their opposition, which was short-lived. The next procedural vote to set up debate on the spate of bills was held open for nearly 10 hours as the holdouts sought to merge a broader market structure bill with legislation to ban a central bank digital currency. Republican Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said holdouts had made a deal with Mr. Trump to package the two digital asset measures. The plan ran into opposition from those who wrote the legislation and upended what House Republicans had termed "crypto week." House Republicans had originally wanted the GENIUS Act to be married with the CLARITY Act, a broader bill that would set rules for when a digital asset is considered a commodity or security. Combining the crypto bills would have sent the legislation back to the Senate and slowed the process. Mr. Trump had pressed Congress to quickly pass the GENIUS Act as a standalone bill, saying it would make the U.S. a leader in digital assets. This week, conservatives pushed to tie the CLARITY Act with the controversial Anti-Central Bank Digital Currency Surveillance State Act, which would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency. Conservatives said the Senate's stablecoin bill and the broader market structure legislation were insufficient because it would allow for a central bank digital currency, which they opposed. "We feel like we need to be dealing with all this at once," said Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who helped stall the bill. A deal was ultimately made late Wednesday to tie the ban on a central bank digital currency with the must-pass annual defense reauthorization bill, and holdouts again flipped their votes to allow the legislative process to move on. The Senate approved the bipartisan stablecoin bill last month after experiencing hiccups caused by a Democratic revolt over concerns about the Trump family's business ventures involving crypto. Democratic critics were also worried that the legislation did not contain strong enough provisions to protect consumers, the financial system and national security. It's faced similar criticism from House Democrats. "A vote for these bills is a vote for consumer and investor harm. A vote for these bills is a vote to plant the seeds for the next financial crisis. A vote for these bills is a vote to endanger our national security," Rep. Maxine Waters of California, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, said Wednesday. Democrats who back the legislation have argued that regulations are long overdue, even if the measure is imperfect.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland lawmakers call President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" a betrayal
Maryland Democratic lawmakers expressed disappointment after President Donald Trump's budget bill passed Congress. The so-called "big, beautiful bill" is expected to be signed into law by the president on Friday, July 4. The Maryland Freedom Caucus, headed by Congressman Andy Harris, said the bill "secured transformational wins for fiscal responsibility, border security, energy independence, welfare reform, and tax relief." What's included in the "big, beautiful bill?" Mr. Trump's budget bill was approved in a 218 to 214 vote by the House, and a 51-50 vote in the Senate, which required Vice President JD Vance to be the tiebreaker. The bill, when signed, would make significant cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs, like Medicaid and SNAP. According to CBS News, the bill would add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over the next 10 years and leave millions without health insurance. The legislation includes more than $46.5 billion for border wall construction and related expenses, $45 billion to expand detention capacity for immigrants in custody, and about $30 billion in funding for hiring, training, and other resources for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBS News reports. The package also includes an increase to the cap on the state and local tax deduction, raising it from $10,000 to $40,000, according to CBS News. After five years, it would return to $10,000, a departure from the initial House-passed bill. CBS News says the bill would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, going beyond the $4 trillion outlined in the initial House-passed bill. And, the current $2,000 child tax credit is set to return to the pre-2017 level of $1,000 in 2026, according to CBS News, and the tax credit would permanently increase to $2,200 under the bill, $300 less than the initial House-passed hike. Maryland lawmakers react to the passed budget bill Democrats in Congress voted against the bill unanimously, citing steep cuts to safety net programs, including SNAP, the food assistance program, and Medicaid. Lawmakers in Maryland argue that the bill provides for the rich and takes away from those who need the assistance. "This so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' marks a direct and heartless assault on the American people," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. "Neither Maryland nor any other state across the country has the resources to fill the massive hole that the federal government created today in our social safety net." Gov. Moore called the bill a nightmare for Maryland families, saying it impacts healthcare for senior citizens, student loan borrowers, those relying on food assistance, and people with disabilities. "President Trump and Republicans in Congress are cutting a quarter of a billion dollars from Maryland's rural hospitals, taking health care away from nearly 200,000 Marylanders, and hurting 684,000 Marylanders that rely on food assistance to pay for their groceries—working families, seniors, children, veterans, homeless individuals and people with disabilities. Today, our federal government has delivered a gift to the ultra-wealthy and told everyone else: 'You're on your own,'" Gov. Moore said. This so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' marks a direct and heartless assault on the American people. Neither Maryland nor any other state across the country has the resources to fill the massive hole that the federal government created today in our social safety net. My full… — Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) July 3, 2025 Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott called the bill a "bad policy" and a "betrayal." "Every member of Congress who voted for this should be ashamed. Baltimore won't forget," Scott said. The mayor said the legislation threatens jobs, healthcare access, and public safety, and makes it easier to purchase guns. "For cities like Baltimore, the impact will be devastating," Scott said. This is an ugly bill-cruel, reckless, and deeply out of touch with the needs of everyday Americans. This isn't just bad policy-it's a betrayal. And every member of Congress who voted for this should be ashamed. Baltimore won't forget. — Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) July 3, 2025 Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen criticized Republicans in Congress for backing Mr. Trump over the U.S. citizens, and called it "tax breaks for billionaires." "A giant handout for the ultra-rich. A big, ugly betrayal for everyone else," Van Hollen said. Once again Rs in Congress put Trump before their constituents — voting for tax breaks for billionaires while cutting Medicaid, food and clean energy programs, and adding a whopping $4.2T to the debt. A giant handout for the ultra-rich. A big, ugly betrayal for everyone else. — Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) July 3, 2025 Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks added that it is a "dark day for America." "Republicans have slashed health care for Americans with disabilities, taken food from the mouths of hungry children, and left our seniors to fend for themselves." A dark day for America. Republicans have slashed health care for Americans with disabilities, taken food from the mouths of hungry children, and left our seniors to fend for themselves. It's a disgrace. — Senator Angela Alsobrooks (@Sen_Alsobrooks) July 3, 2025
E&E News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
House hard-liners threaten to tank megabill procedural vote
A band of House conservative hard-liners is threatening to defeat a procedural vote on the Republican megabill and demands further negotiations over President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Rep. Andy Harris, chair of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus, said he was opposed to the Senate-passed version of the GOP megabill and called on Trump to order senators back to town for further negotiations. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), another Freedom Caucus member, said he planned to vote against the 'rule' setting up final floor consideration of the bill and 'start discussions where we can get back into' a fiscal framework hard-liners had negotiated with Speaker Mike Johnson. Advertisement Harris and Johnson spoke on the floor Wednesday as a preliminary vote was held open with more than a dozen GOP members not voting. With full attendance and Democrats uniformly opposed to the megabill, it takes only four GOP defections to tank the effort.
