Congresswoman Sarah Elfett warns yearlong CR would cut services; files bipartisan bill to protect probationary federal employees

Congresswoman Sarah Elfett told the Howard County House Delegation on March 12 that she voted against a yearlong continuing resolution passed by the U.S. House, saying it gives executive branch officials unprecedented latitude to reallocate funds and contains cuts that would affect her district.

"I voted no last night," Elfett said, calling the measure an unprecedented continuing resolution that, in her view, amounts to a "blank check" for the executive branch and undercuts congressional oversight.

Elfett said the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) includes cuts to programs she identified as priorities for her district and the state, including housing assistance for low- and moderate-income households, reductions that she said would affect about 32,000 people; a cut she described as a roughly $15,000,000,000 reduction in veterans-related health funding; and major reductions to NIH funding. She also warned of proposals in a separate budget resolution that she said would call for $2,000,000,000,000 in cuts overall and a potential $880,000,000,000 reduction to Medicaid, and cited a $4,000,000,000,000 increase tied to the debt ceiling as described in that resolution.

"There are some days in DC that I wish I were back with you in the general assembly," Elfett said, describing how the district's large federal workforce makes constituents particularly vulnerable to federal funding and policy shifts. She noted her district includes about 44,000 direct federal employees and several times that number of contract workers.

Elfett said the delegation's district office is coordinating with her Washington staff, including Eva Lewis, her district director, and Jamie DeAtley, her chief of staff, to assist constituents with casework amid the federal funding uncertainty. She urged local nonprofits and governments to contact her office if they encounter frozen grants or locked portals and said courts have granted relief in several challenges to the federal funding freeze.

On the workplace front, Elfett described a bill she filed this week aimed at probationary federal employees who were summarily fired during personnel actions earlier this year. The bill would require that if a probationary federal employee is later reinstated, the time they previously served in federal service be counted and they not be forced to restart a new probationary clock. Elfett said the measure already has three Republican cosponsors.

"If those probationary employees are reinstated for any reason, we will respect the time that they've already given to the federal service, and they will not have to start their clock over again," Elfett said.

Delegation members and local officials expressed support for the congresswoman's outreach to constituents and asked whether the bill would provide back pay for days missed; Elfett said the bill is silent on back pay to keep it narrow and increase its chances of bipartisan support.

Elfett said the House has adjourned and the CR now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. She said she will continue to advocate for the district and asked county leaders to share her office's resource guide with constituents.

Less urgent local context: Elfett described a town hall at Howard Community College the previous night that drew about 1,200 attendees and underscored local concern about federal actions. She closed by noting her office's willingness to help constituents on individual grant or case issues, while acknowledging some matters will require court or agency resolution.