December 21st, 2018 by WCBC Radio
Governor Larry Hogan and Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) today called on Congress and the Trump administration to reach an agreement to fund the federal government to avert a partial government shutdown. Governors Bullock and Hogan serve as Chair and Vice-Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA).
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Governors Hogan and Bullock state that “a federal shutdown is indicative of a government that is not working.”
“Governors compromise every day. We must work with partners in our legislatures and with stakeholders throughout our states. It is not a choice; it is a necessity to ensure the citizens we serve in our states – the same ones you represent at the national level – have access to the basic functions that allow them to lead good lives,” wrote the governors. “Governors are not able to entrench ourselves and enter stalemates that shut down our governments. States are better than that – and so too is the federal government.”
Funding will run out for federal agencies that do not have agreements in place by midnight tonight. Maryland is home to the fifth most federal employees amongst the states and the District of Columbia, with 147,524 federal workers. While not all of Maryland’s federal employees will be impacted by the shutdown, the Maryland Department of Labor announced earlier this week that the state stands ready to efficiently process unemployment insurance claims from impacted federal workers. Find information about the state’s preparedness to assist federal workers here.
Governor Hogan has consistently called for the federal government to take action to avert a shutdown. Earlier this week, he issued the following statement:
“It’s unacceptable to punish hardworking federal employees because Washington can't get its act together It's time for our leaders to end the dysfunction and come together to find common sense solutions instead of shutting down the government. Enough is enough.”
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