Marylanders face lingering impact of government shutdown with canceled flights, stressed food pantries

The federal government shutdown has had an outsize impact on Maryland, and even though federal offices have reopened, thousands of federal workers in our state must wait to get their back pay. 

There were also dozens of cancellations on Thursday at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Back to work 

Workers returned to the Social Security Administration headquarters in Woodlawn, in Baltimore County, on Thursday as the federal government opened for the first time in six weeks. 

Security there tried to stop WJZ from speaking to them. 

At the Morning Star Baptist Church food pantry in the shadow of SSA, Helen Carpenter is still dealing with the fallout from the longest federal shutdown in American history. 

"I'm hoping that it will lessen the strain; the influx of people I've seen is not just government workers," Carpenter said. "I've had seniors whose SNAP benefits have been cut. They're making choices between getting medicine or paying their gas and electric bill to get food."

Carpenter does not see that changing any time soon. 

"I've been in this situation, and when I was in this situation, this wasn't here for me," Carpenter said. "To know how I felt is to know how I don't want them to feel."

The church is accepting donations of money and food and is preparing to serve 1,000 people on Thanksgiving.

"If I could just provide someone with a meal so they're not hungry at night, that does me good," Carpenter said. 

You can access more information on Carpenter's food pantry here.

Waiting for paychecks 

Federal workers must still wait for their back pay.

The government said it will issue some funds as early as Sunday, with others waiting for their checks until Wednesday, November 19.

"These are people who've given their lives and service to our country, so we thank them, and we should do all we can to avoid another shutdown," Democratic Congressman Johnny Olszewski told WJZ Thursday.

Olszewski said he wants to see the government open, but he voted against the measure in Congress in part because of provisions he said allow the president to cut spending at will, and the lack of a resolution on expiring Affordable Care Act tax subsidies. 

"It does absolutely nothing to address the skyrocketing costs of healthcare," Olszewski said. "This is going to be a $4,700 increase for the average Maryland family of four. That's a tax hike that they just can't afford."

Even before the shutdown, federal layoffs had an outsize impact on Maryland. A report by the Department of Legislative Services showed the state lost 15,100 federal jobs, a 9.3% reduction, between January and August of this year. 

That is a higher percentage of federal job cuts than in neighboring Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The deal that ended the shutdown extends funding for most agencies until January 30 and includes three bills that fund other parts of the government through September 2026.

"We're now at this point where we have a budget and things are reopened. Let's not put our federal workers through this again. Let's not put programs at risk, and let's not impact Americans the way the shutdown has," Olszewski said. "But let's also address the issues that have been made clear that the American people support and members of Congress have said they support. If we all support it, we should be able to get it done between now and the end of January."

Airport impact 

FAA-ordered flight reductions implemented near the end of the shutdown are still being felt at airports, where BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport reported 31 canceled flights Thursday. 

"What has helped us a great deal is planning," said Pamela Browne as she headed to Orlando Thursday. "Pack your patience."

TSA agents who worked through the shutdown are set to receive $10,000 bonuses.

Delta's CEO told CBS News he is hopeful for a return to normal operations by the weekend and has no concern about disruptions to Thanksgiving travel. 

A BWI Marshall spokesperson told WJZ, "The federal government shutdown is over, but the temporary FAA-directed flight restrictions remain in place at this time. Airline flight schedules will likely take a few days to return to normal operations."

The airport noted, "Airline ticketing and the TSA security checkpoints are moving swiftly and efficiently today at BWI Marshall Airport."

You can track the latest developments as the government reopens here.