Rep. Andy Harris, a Queens native, rises to power as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, influencing GOP’s agenda.

Washington, DC: So, it looks like Rep. Andy Harris is stepping into a big role. He’s been around since 2011, representing Maryland’s eastern shore, but now he’s the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. That’s the group of GOP members who are pretty serious about cutting spending.
With the Republicans holding a slim majority, this group could really shake things up for President Trump’s plans. Harris is a staunch supporter of the MAGA movement, but he’s also clear about wanting to keep government spending in check.
He mentioned that any new spending, whether it’s for tax cuts or projects like a border wall, needs to be balanced out. He’s got a strong belief in not letting the deficit grow, which he thinks is crucial.
During a chat with The Post, he seemed pretty optimistic about working with the White House. He believes his concerns will be taken seriously, which is a good sign for future negotiations.
Harris also shared his thoughts on some big names like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, saying they’re looking to make government more efficient. He thinks it’s important to evaluate how well the current workforce is doing.
He even got into some interesting topics, like Trump’s interest in Greenland. Harris sees potential there for both economic and military benefits, especially since Greenland is moving toward independence from Denmark.
On the flip side, he wasn’t too thrilled about Trump’s pick for Secretary of Labor, saying it didn’t align with traditional Republican views on labor issues. He also expressed confusion over Trump’s last-minute moves regarding TikTok and its ties to China.
Harris mentioned that the Freedom Caucus has a solid number of members, enough to really influence budget discussions coming up in 2025. Speaker Mike Johnson will need to keep them happy to maintain his position.
It’s clear that Harris is ready to make waves in Congress, and with his background from Queens, he’s got a unique perspective to bring to the table.