WASHINGTON — The federal government shutdown is approaching the second longest in U.S. history; However, Maryland lawmakers have not been idle as their members have often been front and center as the parties argue over health care, terminations and federal workers.
“Democrats want to reopen the government, but we will not be a seal of approval for this administration as they ignore bipartisan Congressional funding priorities and attack federal workers, or stand by while they allow health care costs to skyrocket for millions of Americans,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen told the Baltimore Sun in a statement.
For Democratic members, in particular, it has been a flurry of activity. Beyond the near-daily press conferences, press calls, rallies and town halls — a constant for both Republicans and Democrats in their attempts to escape blame for the shutdown — attention has focused on legislation and congressional oversight.
Several members of the delegation have introduced legislation before funding runs out, and the others frequently act as cosponsors to promote the bills. Legislative attempts continued after the shutdown began. Several of them have dealt with federal workers.
The week before the shutdown, Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. introduced the Safeguarding Federal Employees (SAFE) Act, a bill that would block mass layoffs during a funding gap. The administration subsequently initiated mass layoffs. A judge ordered his pause days later. On September 29, two days before the shutdown, Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Representative Sarah Elfreth introduced the Help FEDS Act, a bill to allow federal workers who must continue working during the shutdown to be paid.
Once the funding ran out, activity increased. Van Hollen has worked with other senators on bills to protect federal workers from eviction or property repossession, among others.
Van Hollen, Alsobrooks and Rep. Kweisi Mfume sent a letter to the heads of federal financial regulatory agencies, asking for guidance for workers struggling due to the shutdown and also offering a bill on the issue.
“We had a whole series of bills that we’ve sponsored or co-sponsored,” Olszewski told The Sun on Friday when asked about the efforts of his office and the delegation. “We are communicating with the public about what is happening.”
“For me, the most important part of all that communication is to continue to ask the leaders of this country to sit down and find a solution and a way forward,” Olszewski added.
A common thread connects the different measures: little to no Republican support. Van Hollen, Alsobrooks and Rep. Steny Hoyer sent a letter last week urging Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to clarify that furloughed workers would receive back pay, which is required by law. Only one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski, joined them. It has been one of the few actions tinged with bipartisanship.
The SAFE Act has more than 70 cosponsors. No Republican has joined. The Senate plans to vote on a bill similar to Elfreth’s this week, but introduced by a Republican.
Democrats are in the minority in both the House and Senate, leaving them largely at the mercy of Republican leaders who determine which bills are considered. Similarly, his letters are unlikely to change the course of Trump administration officials, whose agenda has focused less on bipartisan engagement and more on immediate action.
Rep. Andy Harris, the delegation’s only Republican and chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has remained attached to Republican leadership throughout the shutdown. At Monday’s Republican leaders’ news conference, he said Republicans had done their job and were waiting for the Democratic votes needed to fund the government.
Harris has remained active through frequent media appearances and has joined House Republican leaders at press events, including Monday’s press conference.
“The only thing standing between America and a reopened government is a handful of Senate Democrats too afraid of their activist base to do the right thing,” Harris said during the news conference.
Olszewski said it has been frustrating that Republican leaders have not been receptive.
“It’s not leadership,” Olszewski said. “Leadership brings people of different political persuasions together to find a way forward.”
With Republican congressional leaders so far unwilling to negotiate on their preferred funding extension, Democrats are hoping for a different intervention: Trump. Some Democrats believe the shutdown will only end when the president takes the reins of negotiations for the Republican Party.
“The only person you can negotiate with here is Trump,” said Democratic strategist David Brand. “No one else here matters.”
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