Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Federal Appropriations And Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senator Van Hollen warns of federal personnel changes, outlines pending funds for Indian Head burn center and SMRT
Summary
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen told the Southern Maryland delegation about federal-level risks to the civil service, ongoing appropriations work and pending congressionally directed funds including $50 million for a military burn center at Indian Head and $5 million for Southern Maryland Rapid Transit.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen updated the Southern Maryland Delegation on Jan. 24, 2025, about federal matters that affect the region, including a federal push to convert merit-based civil-service positions into politically appointed slots, ongoing appropriations negotiations and congressionally directed funding for local projects.
Van Hollen said a planned executive initiative to reclassify up to tens of thousands of federal civil-service positions (commonly discussed as “Schedule F”) would change merit-based hiring practices and could harm the quality of federal services in the region. He said the region employs about 30,000 federal civil servants (not including many active-duty military) and that contractors could also be affected.
On funding, Van Hollen said the congressional delegation worked to secure targeted spending that benefits Southern Maryland, citing roughly $11 million previously directed to area nonprofits and new requests in the pending fiscal 2025 appropriations package: $50,000,000 for military construction to build a contained burn center at Indian Head (a congressionally designated project) and $5,000,000 for the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT) project, which would require a state match. He warned that the current continuing resolution at the federal level runs out on March 15, 2025, and that if Congress does not enact a full-year appropriations bill, targeted investments could be lost.
Van Hollen also described a recent Senate Budget Committee hearing for the president’s budget official nominee, Russ Vought, and raised concerns about whether the administration would comply with the Impoundment Control Act — a federal statute that restricts executive withholding or partial implementation of funds or policy provisions approved by Congress. Van Hollen said the administration’s refusal to commit to the statute’s constraints could invite litigation and would be “very concerning” for funding already passed by Congress.
He urged members of the delegation to keep communication lines open between state and federal officials so projects such as the SMRT and the Indian Head burn center remain funded and aligned with local priorities. Van Hollen was joined on the call by Roderick Lewis, his regional director in Southern Maryland.
Ending: Van Hollen encouraged the delegation to stay engaged with the federal delegation as appropriations move forward and highlighted March 15 as an important date for the FY2025 budget process.
