19-03-2025
Proposed bill would give hiring preference to displaced federal workers living in Montgomery County
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. () – Montgomery County Council Vice President Will Jawando introduced Expedited Bill 10-25 on Tuesday. He's hoping qualified former federal employees are placed at the top of the list for county job openings.
'We're here quite simply, just to defend our neighbors,' Jawando said.
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The legislation is meant to help displaced federal workers.
'This bill will guarantee that these civil servants are considered earlier in the hiring process and are interviewed if they meet the qualifications of the job they are applying for,' Jawando said.
The proposal, which comes after actions by the Trump administration that left thousands of federal employees without jobs, is intended to give those workers a leg up in finding new positions.
Juliette Rizzo is among more than 1,000 federal workers who live in Montgomery County and lost their jobs.
'I just want to share a few hardships when I think about unemployment,' Rizzo said. 'For me, I think about the cost of this wheelchair that raises up to this podium.'
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Kate Greenberg worked at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 15 years before she was fired.
'The mental toll is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,' Greenberg said. 'This is not how you treat human beings, and this is certainly not how you treat your own workforce.'
Rizzo and Greenberg said they're grateful for the opportunity this bill could present if voted into law.
'I want to continue to serve,' Rizzo said. 'I believe in what's being done here for federal servants.'
Jawando addressed concerns of people who may apply for county jobs but aren't former federal workers.
'We want to help them find employment, too,' he said. 'But it's a whole government response, and I think this is a targeted response for people, specifically targeted in a negative way.'
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Community members will have a chance to share their thoughts about the bill during a public hearing on Tuesday, April 1.
'If the federal government won't retain its best and brightest, why not put that talent to work at the county level?' Greenberg said.
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