By Dr. Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
As word of the federal government shutdown spread across the nation on Oct. 1, many Americans outside the beltway followed the battle in Congress through the news or monitored the president’s response via social media.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Prince George’s County, Councilwoman Wala Blegay (D-Prince George’s County-06) and her colleagues listened to the concerns of federal workers and contractors who are more than nameless and faceless federal workers. They are neighbors and long-time friends who are now faced with bills to pay and families to raise in the midst of a federal shutdown.
On Oct. 7, nearly a week into the shutdown, the Council went into action, passing the Federal Workers Emergency Assistance Act of Prince George’s County. Blegay said it was up to the County Council to act.
“We have a lot of federal workers sitting in the audience. They are afraid to tell the stories, but we are here with you,” she said, as the council voted unanimously to support the resolution.
The resolution ultimately passed by council members offers priority hiring for fired federal workers who apply for county level positions, free workforce development and career training. The resolution also allows furloughed federal employees to obtain free food vouchers at local stores.
The emergency assistance act will be shared with the State of Maryland for final approval to ensure consistency between county and state law. The council originally wanted to offer $1,000 checks and temporary property tax relief for impacted federal workers, but these provisions were removed from the final resolution. Blegay urged furloughed federal workers to contact individual council offices who can offer additional support for residents who live within their districts.
“What the federal government has done to this state, this region is beyond a shame,” said Council Chair Edward P. Burroughs III (D-Prince George’s County-08), who voted in support of the resolution, adding that federal workers in his area “are now being treated as ‘less than.’”
Council member Wanaka Fisher (D-Prince George’s County-02) was more direct in her evaluation of the current federal administration and the shutdown.
“I’m just so tired of sugar coating this tyrant who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. who is trying to destroy the Black middle class in Prince George’s County,” Fisher said.
Council members said they hope to offer additional support for distressed federal workers living in Prince George’s County as they learn more about how to craft legislation in light of Maryland’s budget shortfall.
Prince George’s County has been especially hard hit in recent months by actions of the current administration to close down federal agencies and reverse decisions made in previous administrations that were favorable to the county.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, headquartered in Beltsville, Md. plans to shutter offices, displacing 800 employees. A 2023 federal government decision to move FBI headquarters to Greenbelt was thwarted by Trump in March. In July, Congress backed the current federal administration’s decision to stop the move of FBI headquarters by eliminating billions of dollars already allocated for the move to Prince George’s County.