Maryland lawmakers address ‘big lie,' offer support to federal workers at town hall
Hundreds filled the seats of the gymnasium at Howard Community College Tuesday night to hear Maryland lawmakers offer their support and share their efforts to respond to recent actions from the Trump administration.
Attendees to the town hall forum at the Kahlert Foundation Complex heard speeches from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. Sarah Elfreth, whose congressional district includes all of Howard County. The event was part of Ball's latest initiatives to support federal workers who have been impacted by the efforts of President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to slash the federal workforce.
'Please know that we are here for you. We're here to listen. We're here to understand how we can best support you during these tumultuous times, and we are also here to help you transform this economic tragedy into triumph,' Ball said.
Ball has announced expanded resources for the roughly 40,000 to 50,000 federal workers who live in Howard County, and Tuesday, Elfreth introduced the bipartisan Protect Our Probationary Employees Act. Still, some in the audience wondered what specific steps could be taken to fight back against Trump's decisions and to form clear messaging in opposition.
Lawmakers said they are working to fight against Trump's actions in Congress and in the courts. They encouraged individuals to organize in their communities and to reach across the aisle. Cheers erupted from the crowd with stomps of approval for some of the speakers, while occasional boos were heard at the mention of DOGE or other actions taken by Trump.
It's a 'big lie,' Van Hollen said, that probationary federal employees were fired due to a lack of performance. Rather, the workforce cuts were done to secure enough funding for tax cuts to billionaires, Alsobrooks said.
The White House has said federal workers are lazy or unqualified, but, 'if you want to know unqualified, you should sit with me and sit with Senator Van Hollen' when in hearings to confirm Trump's nominations to his cabinet, Alsobrooks said.
Aside from concerns about impacted federal workers, audience members asked questions about how lawmakers can address cuts to the Department of Education, the pause on income-driven student loan repayment, and how lawmakers can ensure accountability for the Trump administration.
'Thank you for showing up. Thank you for digging deep,' Elfreth said. 'These are scary times, these are anxious times, these are unprecedented times, but apathy is not an option in these times. So thank you.'
This story will be updated.
Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X.
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