Andy Harris (politician)
A steadfast conservative voice in Congress, he merges his background as an anesthesiologist with a focus on fiscal and social policy.
Born 1957 (age 69)·American politician·Birthday: January 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Andy Harris operates with the precise, measured focus of his former medical specialty. Representing Maryland's 1st district, the state's sole Republican in Congress, he brings a scientist's lens to the legislative process. His path to Washington was paved not in political clubs but in hospital corridors and university labs, having served as a practicing anesthesiologist and professor at Johns Hopkins. This background informs his approach, particularly on health policy, where he advocates for market-driven reforms and has been a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act. In the House, he has carved a niche on the Appropriations Committee, wielding the power of the purse to advance a platform of reduced government spending, strengthened border security, and traditional values. His tenure is marked by a willingness to take firm stances, from opposing congressional pay raises to challenging the procedures of the House itself, reflecting a constituency that values ideological consistency.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Andy was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He was elected as the first Republican to represent Maryland's 1st Congressional District in over two decades upon his initial victory in 2010.
- He serves as a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, influencing federal spending across key areas.
- He founded the Congressional Hepatitis Caucus to raise awareness and direct resources toward combating viral hepatitis.
- He previously served as Minority Whip in the Maryland State Senate, demonstrating leadership within his party.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed commercial pilot and flight instructor, with an instrument rating for multi-engine aircraft.
Before medicine, he earned a degree in psychology from the Johns Hopkins University.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Poland and Ireland.
He is a member of the Congressional General Aviation Caucus, aligning his policy interests with his personal passion for flying.
“My approach is based on data, evidence, and the principles of limited government.”
