‘I feel like I was criminalized’: Bowie woman loses federal job of 18 years amid government shutdown

LANDOVER, Md. (DC News Now)– The Federal Government is Maryland’s largest employer, with about 70,000 federal workers in Prince George’s County alone. Families are being hit hard, including a Bowie woman who worked 18 years for the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Adrienne Burch told DC News Now that this is devastating for her family.

“I am trying to be positive, but it is a struggle between being angry and sad, and I feel robbed because my career was taken from me,” Burch said.

After spending much of her adult life working in the Federal Government, Burch lost her job. Wednesday afternoon, she was watering her flowers at home in Bowie.

“I feel like I was criminalized and demonized, and we were just going to work. And to have that ripped away from us again not because of performance and not even because they can’t afford to pay us. This is just someone saying I am mad and have the power, and you’re not going to work anymore is so unfair,” she explained.

To offer support, Prince George’s County announced it will make resources available to help as many people during the shutdown. County Executive Aisha Braveboy said that this is the right thing to do to help families who are struggling.

“We can provide food assistance and rental assistance, and we can help individuals with cash assistance,” said Braveboy.

The County Executive reached out to all the major local utility companies to ask them not to shut off service for federal employees across the county, and they agreed to keep providing services.

“I said whatever we can do, let’s come together, and the county is with me, and we are strong and united with my administration to provide resources for Prince Georgians and we are delivering,” added Braveboy.

Braveboy said the county will continue to help residents who lost their jobs for as long as possible.