By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Oct. 8 addressed the impact of the federal shutdown on government employees. This includes Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and air traffic controllers who are working without pay at Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Thurgood Marshall Airport.
The government has been shut down for over a week due to lawmakers’ inability to agree on and pass a budget bill for fiscal year 2026. The shutdown has left many essential federal workers facing unpaid work days, while others have been furloughed with no promising end in sight.
“Our air traffic controllers have to worry about being told they have to work extra hours with very low pay and that they will not see that pay until this is all over,” said U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07) during the press conference. “They just want to do what is right, they want to fulfill their obligation.”
Staffing shortages can lead to increased airport delays and overworked employees.
Moore said attention is being brought to the matter because, if the shutdown continues, most government workers will miss their first paycheck this Friday.
“To our federal workers, I’m sorry,” said Moore. “I’m sorry that Washington seemingly cannot perform basic functions that states have to perform every single day. I’m sorry that Washington cannot seem to perform basic functions that your families are performing every single day.”
According to U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), 550 TSA agents and 70 air traffic controllers at BWI, are working without pay. Though BWI is understaffed, Elfreth confirmed that operations at the airport remain normal.
“I want to be clear that here in Maryland and here in the State House, we will continue to do everything in our power to protect our people,” said Moore. “On behalf of 6.5 million Marylanders, my message to President Trump is the same message that I articulated at the statehouse last week. Stop attempting to gut health care for working families and end this shutdown now.”
Yesterday, the president responded to Democrats’ calls to end the shutdown, putting the blame on them. Both Democrats and Republicans blame each other for the shutdown.
Democrats refuse to support the proposed budget due to Medicaid cuts and the end to Affordable Care Act tax credits, while Republicans remain unwilling to compromise on these issues.
“We’ll see these healthcare increases that most people cannot afford and will have to do without their insurance,” said U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.). “We want the government to open, but also believe that it is immoral to have people without healthcare.”
The U.S. Senate has unsuccessfully voted six times to re-open the government.
“A month-long shutdown means 750,000 federal workers furloughed and 43,000 more Americans out of work across the private sector,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.-04) via Instagram on Oct. 7. “Republicans have voted repeatedly to keep the government open. It’s time for Senate Democrats to wake up and stop voting to keep the government closed.”
Mfume pressed that Democrats will not back down.
“We will not break in terms of fighting for what’s right for the American people,” he said.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, as of April, 27.9 percent of Maryland’s federal employees are Black, placing the state among the highest in the nation for government Black workforce representation.
“We don’t want this shutdown to last a day longer,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). “We call upon today to join us in bipartisan negotiations to open the government.”