Hundreds of people filled the seats of the gymnasium at Howard Community College on Tuesday night to hear federal lawmakers from Maryland offer their support and share their efforts to respond to recent controversial actions from the new Trump administration.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. Sarah Elfreth, whose congressional district includes all of Howard County, spoke to a crowd of more than 1,100 people during the town hall forum, according to the county. About 3,000 more watched through Elfreth’s Facebook livestream and 6,400 on YouTube.

The event was part of Ball’s latest initiatives to support federal workers who have been impacted by the efforts of Republican President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, to slash the federal workforce. The county is home to between 40,000 and 50,000 federal workers and contractors, many of whom are facing uncertainty about their futures.

“Please know that we are here for you. We’re here to listen. We’re here to understand how we can best support you during these tumultuous times, and we are also here to help you transform this economic tragedy into triumph,” Ball said.

Outside the Kahlert Foundation Complex, one protester held an American flag with a sign reading, “We the people rise up.” Bill Wood, a Rockville resident, held a cardboard sign in the shape of a toilet with Musk’s picture in the bowl, reading, “Flush the Felon.”

“You have rights, you have responsibilities. I want to keep those close to me,” Wood, a retired federal contractor of 20 years, said. “Donald Trump is trying to take them away from me and give them to him and Elon Musk. They don’t know what I want, I don’t want them to have my rights and responsibilities.”

Inside, cheers erupted as the Democratic lawmakers spoke in opposition to Trump’s actions and discussed how they are working to fight against Trump’s actions in Congress and in the courts. Many parts of the leaders’ speeches or responses to audience questions received stomps of approval, while occasional boos were heard at the mention of DOGE or other White House decisions.

The Maryland congressional delegation is at the “tip of the spear” working in opposition to Trump administration cuts and executive orders, Van Hollen said. But lawmakers encouraged individuals to join the action by sharing the stories of how they’ve been impacted by Trump’s cuts and talking with people who disagree with them. There are just a few Republican votes in each chamber needed to support the initiatives fighting against Trump’s actions, they shared.

“That’s why we have to humanize these cuts. They cannot be lines on a budget spreadsheet, folks. We have to tell these stories every single day, students with special needs and people who are fighting every day to repay their student loans, veterans who serve this country, who deserve our support in return,” Elfreth said.

Elfreth and Van Hollen introduced legislation Tuesday to protect probationary workers, which would ensure that when reinstated, workers would receive credit for the time they’ve already worked. She and Alsobrooks said they have been collaborating with unions as lawmakers work to get those who were fired reinstated to their jobs.

It’s a “big lie,” Van Hollen said, that probationary federal employees were fired due to a lack of performance. People must also see “the great betrayal” that’s happening, he said, as Trump promised lower prices but instead pardoned insurrectionists and created a government “rigged” by Musk.

Alsobrooks shared a similar sentiment, saying workforce cuts were done to secure enough funding for tax cuts to billionaires.

The White House has said federal workers are lazy or unqualified, but, “if you want to know unqualified, you should sit with me and sit with Sen. Van Hollen” when in hearings to confirm Trump’s nominations to his Cabinet, Alsobrooks said.

Members of the audience asked questions about plans to protect veterans who were fired, how lawmakers can address cuts to the Department of Education, the pause on income-driven student loan repayment, and how lawmakers can ensure accountability for the Trump administration.

Another suggested Democrats create a document with a clear response to Project 2025, a 900-page document of conservative policy goals; the lawmakers agreed there is a need for a unified response. Alsobrooks said Democrats are losing the “communication battle” in some ways, calling for clearer messaging that billionaires in government are hurting everyday people.

Howard County resident Liz Holland said she heard a lot of validating words and support from the lawmakers, but “love and empathy is not a plan.” The opposition needs to meet the pace of the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers, she said. Working as a nurse, she’s used to running toward the bleeding, she said, and now, “the country is bleeding.”

Holland is also part of Indivisible groups, Allies for Democracy and several organizations coming together to organize around Baltimore. They’ve participated in “5051” protests, organized at government buildings in the area and held rallies at Tesla in Rockville and Owings Mills.

“Just trying to push forward and letting people have a place to put their anger and to be more proactive, instead of building an ulcer sitting at home going, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going to happen?’ ” Holland said.

Between discussion of plans, words of encouragement and criticisms of Trump, the lawmakers thanked the audience for their courage in sharing their stories and venturing out to learn more.

“Thank you for showing up. Thank you for digging deep,” Elfreth said. “These are scary times, these are anxious times, these are unprecedented times, but apathy is not an option in these times. So thank you.”

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