Maryland lawmakers offer resources, advice for thousands of federal workers
Maryland lawmakers answered questions and provided resources for thousands of federal workers at a town hall on Tuesday in Howard County.
The gathering at Howard County Community College comes after waves of layoffs initiated by the Trump administration and Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks, U.S. Congresswoman Sara Elfreth, and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball pushed back against what they're calling an "illegal attack on public servants."
"We're continuing legislatively to make sure we're fighting back - delays, procedures, using every procedure tool to us, so this is an all-out assault on our federal workers and we'll continue to protect them, protect their livelihoods," Alsobrooks said.
Those state and local leaders expressed their concerns about the federal cuts, saying there's a lot of uncertainty moving forward.
"What we're witnessing is a clear present danger to our country, to our democracy, to our constitution," Van Hollen said.
Federal worker protests
Ahead of the town hall, protesters stood outside with signs and voiced their concerns.
Federal workers still employed are concerned about the next round of possible cuts.
"I have Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer which is classified as a terminal illness," Howard County resident Liz Fite said. "If my benefits are cut, I will no longer be able to afford life-prolonging treatments and I will die in a matter of months."
An employee for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is worried about the organization's downfall after CBS News reported that more than 800 employees were let go during February's first sweep across NOAA.
"I think about 900 people will let go and that hurts us and how we're able to do our work and get our weather data out to the general public," said a NOAA worker who attended the town hall.
Alsobrooks and Van Hollen say across the country there have been at least 60 lawsuits filed by federal workers.
Helping federal workers
On Feb. 4, Ball held a federal worker forum for anyone to express how they feel about the new Trump administration. Hundreds turned out, and some were even notified of their firing during the event.
"These actions have disrupted lives and disrupted our economy," Ball said.
Since then, Howard County has rolled out expanded workforce development resources, including organizing a job fair and offering more career counseling services.
To build upon that, Ball announced Tuesday the county wants to help these workers build their businesses.
Partnering with the Howard County Economic Development Authority, the county is putting on a business resource expo for federal workers at the Kenneth S. Ulman Innovation Hub Building at 9:30 a.m. on March 26.
Everything about starting a business will be covered. How to secure funding, mentorship and legal services will be on hand to offer guidance.
Ball said federal workers have shown a big interest in entrepreneurship, saying workers have brought up "numerous industries" to him.
"Many in the tech sector, cybersecurity, looking at emerging industries like AI," Ball said. "Some are looking at the trades."
Attendees can also learn about the HoCo Higher Growth Accelerator Program, which is a seven-week program that helps people learn how to develop a business.
There will be information about grants and other programs useful for business owners.
Hotlines and other help
Howard County still has a helpline email open for any federal worker needing help: hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov.
There will be another job fair for federal workers at Howard Community College on April 8 at 6 p.m.
Howard County also has a helpline for people looking for childcare information and referrals, people can call 410-313-CARE.
Ball said the county is in need of more childcare professionals to work at the county's 23 before and after care sites. If you're interested, you can email RLCchildcare@howardcountymd.gov.
