Mason for the Eastern Shore: First Congressional District Candidate Speaks on the Issues, Part 2
Peter Heck and Jane Jewell • October 13, 2020
Mia Mason, the Democratic candidate for the Maryland District 1 seat in Congress, spoke to
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore in a telephone interview, Sept. 14. The 40-minute interview covered a wide range of subjects. This is the second of two articles
summarizing the interview, which we hope will give our readers a better picture of the candidate we have endorsed in the upcoming election.
As a member of Congress, Mia Mason would need to be cognizant of national issues in addition to those that specifically affect constituents on the Eastern Shore. Asked about national issues, she said, “There are about five of them. Our jobs and our economy; our veterans’ healthcare right now, because they also were at a crunch for a budget cut; protecting our Social Security and extending our Medicare to Medicare for All; and protecting our voter rights, because we’ve seen our president attack our voters. We’re on top of each of our boards of elections, to make sure that we have an opportunity for our communities to vote, for early voting and of course a safe place for them to put their ballots in for the entire month of October.”
Education in the covid-19 era was the last issue she cited as affecting the entire nation. “Schools face a loss of funds if they don’t do in-person schooling, and that’s just wrong. Our teachers are completely engaged and immersed in what they’re doing virtually, and they have to be able to continue that from a safe distance,” she said, noting that the technology for distance learning has not been equally available, especially in rural areas and poorer districts. “We need to be sure that we provide that opportunity to get them safely back into the schools, because a lot of the time the kids are sent back into the school system with covid, and that is causing an alarming rate of infection throughout our entire nation. Children between the ages of 10 and 18 years old are at double the risk just by getting on the bus to school.”
Asked her first priority once she is seated in the House, Mason said, “I think the foremost thing that we have to worry about out of the 500-plus bills that we have to get reissued, is to make sure that our John Lewis Voting Rights Act gets passed, and continue advocating for that bill.” She supports Medicare for All, “so we can make sure that our healthcare is supportable on a price point per year for the entire family.” She noted, “As a disabled veteran, I know that I have healthcare. I understand that my family already has healthcare. So I am not concerned about my healthcare. I’m trying to make sure that others have healthcare.”
Much of the work of a representative takes place in committees. Mason has given some thought to which congressional committees she would like to serve on, although she is aware that new members don’t always have a choice. “I have a lot of military experience, so that’d fit me for the armed services committee, the intelligence committee, the veterans’ affairs committee, and of course, the natural resources committee. Because our shores really need a lot of protection, we can work with a lot of those agencies, armed forces and of course the veterans’ affairs to make sure that our natural resources are protected.”
Running a political campaign in the middle of a pandemic presents special challenges, and Mason has found her own way to respond to it. “It was like day and night for our campaign,” she said. “I was ready to turn on the lights in my studio, and we began to operate completely digitally. We did weekly town halls virtually. Basically, we had to teach ourselves how to live-stream whole digital fundraising events, and go the old-school way of doing things: calling people, mailing them. And this is where our postcard groups have completely helped us — so we can make sure people understand the new dates and times for early voting, when they can register to vote, and of course, where they can go vote. So this is super-important in this pandemic age, to make sure that we still reach our communities and help our Democratic clubs open up their headquarters for those who still may want to come in and donate and pick up our signs and our materials and to help us send out our postcards and mail.”
Summing up, Mason said, “I want our voters to understand that I come here to learn, that I’m a fighter. I’ve learned how to adapt myself to win battles. So when I’m in Congress, just understand that I won’t stop that fight ‘til I’m convinced that I’ve made my constituents’ lives better by actually providing their story on the House floor, to represent them properly. I know that our communities, our neighborhoods, are going to start revitalization projects here in 2021, and we need to make sure that we’re taking care of our communities for the next decade, and this is why I want them to understand that this is their land, that this is their legacy, and this is their vote.”
Unseating an incumbent Representative is never easy, but Mia Mason has a clear vision of what she has to offer First District voters. Common Sense for the Eastern Shore believes that she deserves their votes.
Mia Mason’s website is at https://miadmason.us/
Peter Heck is a Chestertown-based writer and editor, who spent 10 years at the Kent County News and three more with the Chestertown Spy. He is the author of 10 novels and co-author of four plays, a book reviewer for Asimov’s and Kirkus Reviews, and an incorrigible guitarist.
Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
Megan Outten, a lifelong Wicomico County resident and former Salisbury City Councilwoman, officially announced her candidacy recently for Wicomico County Council, District 7. At 33, Outten brings the energy of a new generation combined with a proven record of public service and results-driven leadership. “I’m running because Wicomico deserves better,” Outten said. “Too often, our communities are expected to do more with less. We’re facing underfunded schools, limited economic opportunities, and years of neglected infrastructure. I believe Wicomico deserves leadership that listens, plans ahead, and delivers real, measurable results.” A Record of Action and A Vision for the Future On Salisbury’s City Council, Outten earned a reputation for her proactive, hands-on approach — working directly with residents to close infrastructure gaps, support first responders, and ensure everyday voices were heard. Now she’s bringing that same focus to the County Council, with priorities centered on affordability, public safety, and stronger, more resilient communities. Key Priorities for District 7: Fully fund public schools so every child has the opportunity to succeed. Fix aging infrastructure and county services through proactive investment. Keep Wicomico affordable with smarter planning and pathways to homeownership. Support first responders and safer neighborhoods through better tools, training, and prevention. Expand resources for seniors, youth, and underserved communities. Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — and 85% of students relying on extra resources — she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action. “Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.” A Commitment to Home and Service Born and raised in Wicomico, Megan Outten sees this campaign as a continuation of her lifelong service to her community. Her vision reflects what she’s hearing from neighbors across the county: a demand for fairness, opportunity, and accountability in local government. “Wicomico is my home; it’s where I grew up, built my life, and where I want to raise my family,” Outten said. “Our county is full of potential. We just need leaders who will listen, work hard, and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do on the County Council.” Outten will be meeting with residents across District 7 in the months ahead and unveiling more details of her platform. For more information or to get involved, contact info@meganoutten.com
Way back in 1935, the Supreme Court determined that independent agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) do not violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935). Congress provided that the CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, would operate as an independent agency — a multi-member, bipartisan commission whose members serve staggered terms and could be removed only “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.” Rejecting a claim that the removal restriction interferes with the “executive power,” the Humphrey’s Court held that Congress has the authority to “forbid their [members’] removal except for cause” when creating such “quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial” bodies. As a result, these agencies have operated as independent agencies for many decades under many different presidencies. Shortly after assuming office in his second term, Donald Trump began to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of several of these agencies. The lower courts determined to reinstate the discharged members pending the ultimate outcome of the litigation, relying on Humphrey’s , resulting in yet another emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the administration. In the first such case, a majority of the Court allowed President Trump to discharge the Democratic members of the NLRB and the MSPB while the litigation over the legality of the discharges continued. Trump v. Wilcox (May 22, 2025). The majority claimed that they do not now decide whether Humphrey’s should be overruled because “that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.” However, hinting that these agency members have “considerable” executive power and suggesting that “the Government” faces greater “risk of harm” from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty,” the majority gave the President the green light to proceed. Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissented, asserting that Humphrey’s remains good law until overturned and forecloses both the President’s firings and the Court’s decision to award emergency relief.” Our emergency docket, while fit for some things, should not be used to “overrule or revise existing law.” Moreover, the dissenters contend that the majority’s effort to explain their decision “hardly rises to the occasion.” Maybe by saying that the Commissioners exercise “considerable” executive power, the majority is suggesting that Humphrey’s is no longer good law but if that is what the majority means, then it has foretold a “massive change” in the law and done so on the emergency docket, “with little time, scant briefing, and no argument.” And, the “greater risk of harm” in fact is that Congress provided for these discharged members to serve their full terms, protected from a President’s desire to substitute his political allies. More recently, in the latest shadow docket ruling in the administration’s favor, the same majority of the Court again permitted President Trump to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of another independent agency, this time the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Trump v. Boyle (July 23, 2025). The same three justices dissented, once more objecting to the use of the Court’s emergency docket to destroy the independence of an independent agency as established by Congress. The CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, was designed to operate as “a classic independent agency.” In Congress’s view, that structure would better enable the CPSC to achieve its mission — ensuring the safety of consumer products, from toys to appliances — than would a single-party agency under the full control of a single President. “By allowing the President to remove Commissioners for no reason other than their party affiliation, the majority has negated Congress’s choice of agency bipartisanship and independence.” The dissenters also assert that the majority’s sole professed basis for the more recent order in Boyle was its prior order in Wilcox . But in their opinion, Wilcox itself was minimally explained. So, the dissenters claim, the majority rejects the design of Congress for a whole class of agencies by “layering nothing on nothing.” “Next time, though, the majority will have two (if still under-reasoned) orders to cite. Truly, this is ‘turtles all the way down.’” Rapanos v. United States (2006). * ***** *In Rapanos , in a footnote to his plurality opinion, former Supreme Court Justice Scalia explained that this allusion is to a classic story told in different forms and attributed to various authors. His favorite version: An Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger. When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant, he says it is a giant turtle. When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies "Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down." John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.
Marylanders will not forget this vote.
More than 30,000 of our neighbors in Maryland’s first congressional district will lose their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid because of provisions in the GOP’s heartless tax cut and spending bill passed last week.
Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.
