Elfreth Named to Powerful Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) was named to serve on the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Natural Resources. Maryland’s Third District includes the United States Naval Academy and much of the Chesapeake Bay’s shoreline.
“I’m honored and pleased to serve on both the House Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees in the 119th Congress. The jurisdiction of both committees has direct overlap with the issues that affect Maryland’s Third District most,” said Congresswoman Elfreth.
“Rep. Sarah Elfreth will be an outstanding member of the distinguished House Armed Services Committee and House Natural Resources Committee in the 119th Congress, and her appointment to these prestigious committees is a true reflection of her exceptional talents and strong leadership in Maryland and beyond. Over the course of the next two years, this committee will take up incredibly important work on behalf of the American people, and I look forward to seeing all Rep. Elfreth accomplishes as we work together to seek common ground for the common good,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse.
The House Committee on Armed Services
The House Committee on Armed Services is tasked with jurisdiction over defense policy, ongoing military operations, and the organization and reform of the Department of Defense. In addition to authorizing and supporting policies critical to our national security, the Armed Services Committee is focused on implementing policies vital to supporting our servicemembers and the warfighter.
“As the daughter and granddaughter of Army, Navy, and Air Force veterans, the needs of our servicemembers, their families, and veterans have always guided my work. Representing the U.S. Naval Academy, I have worked closely with young men and women who made the honorable decision to serve our great nation. Maryland has a long, storied history of playing a critical role in our national defense. I look forward to serving as a strong voice for Maryland’s military community,” said Congresswoman Elfreth.
“Rep. Elfreth’s work representing the U.S. Naval Academy in the Maryland General Assembly and her tireless fight for the well-being of service members and veterans in Maryland’s State House will provide valuable insight for the work we do in the HASC, particularly as it relates to mental health advocacy, suicide prevention, voting rights, and education. I look forward to working together in the 119th Congress,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Elfreth represented the U.S. Naval Academy for six years in the Maryland General Assembly before coming to Congress. She fought tirelessly for the well-being of our servicemembers and veterans in the State House. This included legislation on mental health advocacy, suicide prevention, voting rights, and education. Following the retirements of Representative Anthony Brown and Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, Elfreth will be the only Maryland member on a committee or subcommittee focused explicitly on national security issues, in the House or the Senate.
In addition to the Naval Academy, Maryland’s Third District is also home to Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL), the nation’s largest university-affiliated research center that serves as a technical resource for the Department of Defense. APL employs almost 9,000 staff and performs research and engineering services for the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and others.
The House Committee on Natural Resources
The House Committee on Natural Resources considers legislation on American energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation, and reclamation.
“There’s a saying in the conservation world: leave it better than you found it. That has always been my approach to protecting the Chesapeake Bay and all of Maryland’s great natural resources. I join this committee ready to expand on the bipartisan and multi-state work I’ve led in Maryland to protect our precious land, ocean, air, and wildlife,” said Congresswoman Elfreth.
“I am excited to welcome Rep. Sarah Elfreth to the House Natural Resources Committee. She brings a wealth of experience from her six years in the Maryland Senate, where she championed innovative solutions to protect the Chesapeake Bay. As Chair of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Commission, she reimagined Bay restoration efforts, emphasizing its ecological and economic importance and value for future generations,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “I know Sarah’s commitment to science-based, community-driven solutions and passion will be a tremendous asset to our work on the Committee as we tackle the urgent challenges of protecting our natural resources.”
Elfreth began her career at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, navigating government and budgetary systems to secure support for their conservation efforts. She then spent six years in the Maryland Senate protecting the state’s natural resources, including the Chesapeake Bay. She reimagined the state’s approach to Bay restoration by prioritizing not only the ecological importance of the Bay but also its importance to the local economy and to future generations. Elfreth chaired the tri-state, bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Commission and worked with colleagues to pass the Whole Watershed Act which is promoting innovative, science-based solutions to waterway restoration efforts.
Inspired by her work on the commission, she championed dozens of landmark environmental bills to increase oyster populations, invest in and expand state parks, build more resilient infrastructure in response to climate change, and get the state on a path to achieving 50% renewable energy usage by 2030. Recognizing the necessity of holistic and comprehensive legislation to address the impacts of climate change, Elfreth worked to pass multiple bills protecting firefighters and communities from PFAS chemicals, strengthening environmental reporting and data collection measures, requiring the development of updated stormwater management plans to meet increased rainfall, and developing a new Maryland Department of Agriculture program to incentivize multiple co-benefits on farmland.
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