Annapolis, MD — Today, as Maryland crabbers are forced to cut back or shutter their operations due to Trump’s immigration policies, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews is calling on Larry Hogan and Andy Harris to meet directly with Donald Trump to save the 2018 crabbing season and the Eastern Shore economy.
Hogan and Harris’ response to this crisis have been weak and ineffective. The Department of Homeland Security has moved to a limit the lottery for temporary worker visas, which will not allow Eastern Shore crabbers to hire the workforce they need this year.
Donald Trump has repeatedly thrown out the rules and norms of traditional governance, and introduced uncertainty into processes that worked well for Maryland. The devastation caused by his decision to limit temporary worker visas requires bold leadership. Trump has made clear time after time that he is the final say in the largest decisions in his administration, so it is time for Harris and Hogan to go straight the Oval Office.
“We’ve seen that Governor Hogan and Congressman Harris are afraid to confront and upset Donald Trump, but the vital role of the Eastern Shore in Maryland’s economy requires bold leadership and courage,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “I am trying to figure out why Governor Hogan and Congressman Harris aren’t in the Oval Office right now convincing Donald Trump to reverse his hateful immigration policies. While crab processors are shutting down and entire communities on the Eastern Shore are watching their livelihood disappear, it is time for Hogan and Harris demand that Donald Trump rescind his limits on seasonal worker visas.”
Since the day he was inaugurated, Donald Trump has consolidated power in his White House, making clear that the most effective way to seek a policy change is to speak directly with the President. While Trump has gone out of his way to freeze out Democrats in Congress—taking the unprecedented step of not inviting Democratic Members of Congress to a recent State Dinner with French President Emanuel Macron—Harris and Hogan must leverage their relationship with Trump to save the 2018 crabbing season and the Eastern Shore economy.