Emily Newlan, who runs a small consulting company in Gaithersburg, joined other business owners Thursday morning for a meeting with Maryland’s U.S. senators and urged a resolution to the partial federal government shutdown.
“I have to pay healthcare costs, I have to pay overhead,” said Newlan, whose firm Hedgelan Consulting has federal contracts with agencies including the Department of Agriculture.
Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, met with more than 30 small business leaders at Dawson’s Market in Rockville to discuss the continuing effects of the shutdown, now in its 34th day. The shutdown began Dec. 22 after Congress refused to include more than $5 billion in funding for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, requested by President Trump.
A number of the business owners expressed frustration with the impasse, telling the senators that it’s imperiling their employees who have contracts with the federal government.
Cardin said he understood how far-reaching the shutdown’s effects were.
“This is devastating. We know that the missions that are critical to our country… airline issues, food safety issues, flood loans not being processed… the list goes on and on,” Cardin said.
Among those present Thursday morning were Marilyn Balcombe, the president of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, Rockville Chamber of Commerce President Marji Graf and Rockville Mayor Bridget Newton.
Trump has signed legislation guaranteeing back pay to employees when the shutdown ends, and Van Hollen has taken on legislation to restore back pay to contract workers.
Newlan said rather than having back pay go into the salaries of workers, it should go into other areas.
“I ask you to consider modifying that [back pay legislation] from wages to other costs associated with the shutdown,” she said.
Dawson’s Market, the backdrop for the event, is offering a 10 percent discount to federal employees and a free dinner to those affected on Jan. 28.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
