Maryland, Virginia Democrats to Trump Administration: ‘Reopen the Federal Government’

Jessica Weinberg enjoyed her job as a social scientist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, helping communicate to the public the importance of medical devices such as pacemakers, brain implants, and contact lenses.

U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, had a message for Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, at a press conference held across the street from the offices on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. “Russ Vought, if you’re up there…just know that if you continue to fire federal workers during a shutdown, that we will see you in court,” he said. “Take away back pay from federal workers and contractors, we will see you in court again.” (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

But then Weinberg and her colleagues got word on April 1 that they would be fired, the day she and her former co-workers call “the April Fool’s Day public health massacre.”

“What has happened is a travesty, not just for me, my family, and my community, but for the public health of the nation,” Weinberg said Tuesday.

“I am here speaking out, despite being taught for my entire 14-year career as a fed never to speak publicly,” she said. “I’m here balancing the need to spend time searching for jobs and providing for my family with the need to speak out about the travesty that has occurred and continues to unfold in this country.”

Weinberg, a wife and mother of two children, ages 2 and 6, who lives in Montgomery County, was standing across the street from the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C., joined by several dozen other affected federal workers and Democratic lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia. In an hour-long news conference, the Trump administration and House Republicans, who have stayed away from Washington for the two weeks since the shutdown began Oct. 1.

Several dozen federal workers either laid off or furloughed hold signs at press conference alongside members of the Maryland and Virginia federal delegations. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

Speakers had particularly harsh words for OMB Director Russell Vought, who ordered the job cuts, as well as a fresh round of layoffs that began Friday, 10 days into the shutdown.

While several at the rally held up signs supporting workers, others held signs targeting Vought, including one with his face and the phrase, “Put them in trauma” — a reference to comments Vought reportedly made to describe his goal for the treatment of federal workers.

“Mr. Vought, you just heard about the trauma you are causing. Shame!” said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), as he pointed toward OMB, as others started to chant, “Shame!”

Hoyer was one of seven Maryland legislators joined by four Virginia colleagues, including Sen. Mark Warner, who came to show their support for federal workers and criticize the administration.

“These experts [federal workers], the ones to ensure that America’s exceptionalism in so many cases, depend on our powers and research and science and medicine. These are the people who have been targeted by this administration and targeted by the very sinister Russell Vought,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).

“We are not here by accident,” Alsobrooks said. “It was completely foreseeable that we would be here in this moment because it was always the plan of the Republican Party and the plan of Russell Vought.”

The White House referred questions Tuesday to OMB, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But while Democratic lawmakers have blamed the government shutdown on the Republicans who control Congress and the White House, Vice President J.D. Vance said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that the shutdown — and the subsequent layoffs — are the fault of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other congressional Democrats. He said the administration has been forced to “lay off some federal workers in the midst of this shutdown to preserve the essential benefits to the American people that the government does provide.”

“We don’t want to be laying off federal workers, but the Democrats have shut down the government. They have forced us to choose between American citizens and federal bureaucrats. We are choosing the critical services that benefit our American citizens.”

Furloughed National Institutes of Health worker Kalynda Gonzales Stokes at the Oct. 14 rally in support of federal workers. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

Vance’s comments come even though President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to slash the size of government, and the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo on Trump’s first day in office directing agency heads to identify probationary workers who “can be terminated… without triggering appeal rights.”

Meanwhile, Trump this weekend directed the Pentagon to redirect research funds to pay active-duty troops during the government shutdown. The troops would have missed their first paycheck on Wednesday, but the Defense Department said it would use $8 billion in “unobligated” research funds to make payroll.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who is keeping the House out until the Senate passes a budget, praised the president for “again showing strong leadership, has stepped up to ensure that our troops are going to be paid on Oct. 15.”

It remains unclear if the Trump administration has the legal authority to transfer the funds without congressional approval. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th) said Tuesday that it does not, that federal law states money appropriated for a certain agency must go directly to that agency.

“If it’s mandatory for a particular purpose, it’s got to serve that purpose,” Raskin said. “So they [the administration] shouldn’t start impounding, redirecting, rechanneling money in order to cover up for their own negligence. They should come back to work and reopen the federal government with us.”

Virginia delegation condemns federal worker firings

Virginia U.S. Reps. Don Beyer, Suhas Subramanyam, and James Walkinshaw  — all Democrats — joined U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. at the news conference Tuesday alongside their Maryland colleagues; all called for the government shutdown to end and for federal workers to keep their jobs.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) served as the second of 13 people who spoke during a press conference on Oct. 14 in support of federal workers. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

Subramanyam, a freshman congressman, had a message for Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget. The press conference was held across the street from the offices.

“Russ Vought, if you’re up there…just know that if you continue to fire federal workers during a shutdown, that we will see you in court,” he said. “Take away back pay from federal workers and contractors, and we will see you in court again.”

Warner said lawmakers can negotiate health care policy and reopen the federal government. Warner mentioned that a family in Roanoke currently paying $800 in monthly premiums could see an increase to $2,000 a month starting next month.

“Let’s get the government reopened. Let’s stop this health care crisis and make sure these federal workers get back pay and get back to doing their duty and helping the American public,” he said.

by William J. Ford, Virginia Mercury

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