Maryland Delegation Spotlights the Shutdown's Impact on Federal Workers at BWI Airport

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Governor Wes Moore (D-MD), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), and Congressman Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) gathered at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport to spotlight the impact of a federal government shutdown on Maryland federal employees at BWI. Approximately 550 TSA agents and 70 air traffic controllers, support staff, and management are employed at BWI and are currently working without pay as essential employees.

"We are here today with a very simple message: Shutdowns don't fly. Our federal workforce directly and acutely feels the impacts of a government shutdown - including the 44,000 federal workers in Maryland's Third District. These folks are our neighbors, but they are the ones who keep our skies safe and make sure thousands of Americans can get to where they need to go each and every day. I want to say thank you to these federal workers. They are simply not hearing that enough from their federal government these days," saidCongresswoman Elfreth.

"Our hard-working federal employees continue to do their jobs with discipline, dignity, and distinction," said Gov. Moore. "Meanwhile, we have a President of the United States who is willing to shut down his own government while threatening to withhold back pay from air traffic controllers and TSA personnel - a thumb in the eye of the public servants who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe. My message to the president is consistent: come to the negotiating table in good faith and reopen the government."

"Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are putting the livelihoods of our federal employees and the safety of the American people at risk with their partisan shutdown. Team Maryland is fighting to support our aviation technicians, TSA agents, and other federal workers at BWI as they come to work without knowing when their next paycheck is coming. We can responsibly fund the government and prevent a massive spike in Americans' health care costs without giving Donald Trump a blank check for his lawless actions. It is time for President Trump to negotiate a bipartisan solution," said Senator Van Hollen.

"The Republican shutdown is wrecking our economy, making Americans less safe as they travel, and severely hurting our patriotic civil servants. I made clear at BWI today: Republicans must reopen the government, give Marylanders the health care they need, and treat our civil servants with the respect they have earned," said Senator Alsobrooks.

"Our civil servants aren't political pawns - they're parents, neighbors, and veterans with mortgages to pay and kids to feed. And they're also providing critical services including keeping us safe and on time when we fly. They deserve our gratitude, our support and every effort to pass a bipartisan budget that reopens the government now," said Congressman Olszewski.

"It is shameful that, a week into this shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to allow the House of Representatives to do the people's work," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "If we want to keep the skies safe, we must make sure that our air traffic controllers are paid."

Elfreth and Alsobrooks introduced legislationbefore the shutdown to ensure federal employees, including those at BWI, who are required to work during a government shutdown are eligible to apply for unemployment insurance (UI).

As of today, the shutdown has had a minimal impact on air travel, with airport wait times and flight cancellations largely remaining normal. However, the longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely disruptions become. This was a major pain point in the 2019 shutdown, when a shortage of air traffic controllers forced the FAA to limit traffic at LaGuardia Airport in New York, along with other major airports.

A full recording of the event is available HERE.

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