Montgomery County leaders sign bill giving displaced federal workers hiring preference

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) – Montgomery County leaders gathered in Rockville Thursday to sign Expedited Bill 10-25 which puts federal workers at the top of the list for open jobs in the county.

“This bill sends a clear and important message that if you’re being pushed out of the federal government, we want you in our government,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said.

The bill was introduced in March by Montgomery County Council Vice President Will Jawando in response to actions by the Trump Administration.

“It just shows it’s not about efficiency,” Jawando said. “It’s about being heartless and cruel and not caring about the important work that these folks are doing.”

Jawando said more than 70,000 federal workers call Montgomery County home.

“Unfortunately, we’ve already loss more than 4,000 that have been affected by these federal layoffs,” he said.

Rockville City Council Member Izola Shaw is one of them.

“Until recently, I worked with an incredible team at the National Cancer Institute. Overnight, that work was ripped away from hundreds of us,” Shaw said.

Jawando said federal workers have immense value, and he’d like to see their skills be utilized to help the county continue to grow.

“Go to montgomerycountymd.gov,” Jawando said. “Montgomery County Careers, look at what we have available and apply. You’ll get an interview; someone will reach out to you.”

WorkSource Montgomery is launching a Federal Workers Resource Hub to help displaced workers learn new skills and find employment opportunities.