A line of employees on Fishers Lane in North Bethesda, outside FDA and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offices.
On Tuesday, leaders responded to the administration’s mass layoffs of federal health and human services employees — including workers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in White Oak.
“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and RFK Jr. are laying waste to the workforce that safeguards Americans’ health and wellbeing,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in a written statement. “Today, thousands of hard-working public servants who have helped fight dangerous diseases, ensure our food and medications are safe, deliver affordable health insurance to millions of Americans, and more, were kicked to the curb with no regard for the essential public services they provide.”
“We will continue fighting back with everything we’ve got in Congress, in our communities, and in the courts to protect our public health workforce – including at NIH, FDA, CMS, and many other health agencies in Maryland – and their mission to keep America safe and healthy,” Van Hollen said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin stated, “Today is a gloomy and painful day in Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District. When employees arrived at work at HHS and many of its subagencies this morning, they faced long lines stretching down the block. Emails firing thousands of workers across HHS had been sent out starting at 5:00 AM. Long lines formed because security staff were required to check to see if each employee still had a job and access to the office or if they had been a victim of the early-morning purge and were forbidden to enter.”
“Thousands of workers have lost their livelihood and our nation’s health agencies are now in chaos,” Raskin said. “If Vladimir Putin had taken over our government, he could not have done a better job than this destroying our government.”
In a written statement, County Council President Kate Stewart said, “The Trump administration’s abrupt decision to cut over 10,000 employees across health and human services, including 3,500 jobs from the Federal Drug Administration, is a dramatic blow to our nation’s most critical departments and directly impacts hundreds of Montgomery County residents and their families.”
“These are health professionals who have dedicated their lives to public service,” she said. “They are the experts who lead public health research on cancer, infant and maternal health, who track and develop life saving vaccines and medications, and help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. They are experts responsible for assuring the safety of our nation’s food supply, medications, and medical devices that residents rely on everyday.”
Stewart encouraged residents who need support to join the council’s biweekly United in Service and Support webinars.
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