Gov. Wes Moore (D) told local and state officials and lawmakers gathered Friday in North Bethesda that the state is prepared to push back when necessary against demands made by President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.
“We will defend our fundamental constitutional rights, not just the federal Constitution, but the constitution of the state of Maryland,” Moore said during his keynote address at the Committee for Montgomery legislative breakfast, an annual event that serves as the unofficial kickoff to the upcoming General Assembly session and a gathering of some of the most powerful people in Montgomery County.
“In the places where we can find commonality with the new administration, we will … but I want to be very clear, this administration is ready to push back on the new administration when it’s necessary,” Moore said.
More than 600 people gathered at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center to network and listen to state and county leaders discuss priorities in local and state politics for the coming year during the 36th annual legislative breakfast.
In addition to Moore, speakers included U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) of Kensington, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Dist. 8) of Takoma Park, County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and County Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). The event also featured a General Assembly panel discussion with Sen. Will Smith (D-Dist. 20) and state Dels. Marc Korman (D-Dist. 16), Lily Qi (D-Dist. 15) and Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Dist. 20).
The Committee for Montgomery is a coalition of local leaders from across various sectors — including business, education and civic associations — that advocates for the General Assembly to prioritize issues and causes viewed as the most vital for Montgomery County. The state’s 447th General Assembly session will convene from Jan. 8 through April. 7.
Moore told the gathering he asked his staff in February to start preparing for all potential outcomes of a presidential election.
“[After the election], the state of Maryland actually became a bright spot for the entire country, which looked and noticed that something special is happening now,” Moore said, referencing Democratic party victories in the state. “When Montgomery County wins, the state will be untouchable. … We will build a state that will become the envy of this country.”
Ready to protect the county
Most speakers focused their remarks on the response of the county and state to Trump’s election and his incoming administration, with Elrich noting that this is “not the moment to retreat.”
“We’re assessing our weaknesses … nothing they do is going to change who we are,” Elrich said. “They may make our path more difficult, but everything we do in the field of social justice, women’s rights, labor … we’re going to keep doing everything we do trying to build a stronger school system, we’re going to continue that.”
Van Hollen said he is concerned by Trump’s pledge to “restructure” some federal agencies and programs and potentially move some federal jobs out of the Washington, D.C., region. He said he will defend the job security of Montgomery County’s thousands of federal employees.
“What I don’t support is calling something government efficiency … and allowing merit-based employees to be fired and replaced by political cronies. We cannot allow that to happen,” Van Hollen said.
Van Hollen addressed Trump’s threats to conduct mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Earlier this week, Elrich implied during a media briefing he would not comply with Trump’s expected requests for localities to participate in deportation efforts.
“In our community, we are blessed with a large immigrant population. It includes lots of [DREAM Act recipients], it includes people who are on temporary protective status,” Van Hollen said, referencing the federal law that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country as children, and a type of temporary status that allows certain foreign workers to legally stay in the country. “We need to be very clear that we will not participate in or be complicit in breaking up families.”
Raskin pledged his commitment to defending the county against Project 2025 initiatives and that he hopes county leaders are “ready to get their marching shoes on.” Project 2025 is an initiative from The Heritage Foundation, a conservative political think tank, that outlines an agenda of proposed changes for the incoming Trump administration.
“We are an education county. … They want to abolish Title I, and ultimately, they want to abolish the Department of Education. Those are fighting words for Montgomery County,” Raskin said to a standing ovation from attendees, referencing a federal grant program that provides funding for schools with high rates of student poverty.
“We’re a public service county that believes in the professional civil service, that believes in science,” Raskin said. “We’re going to fight [federal job cuts] in the House, we’re going to fight that in the Senate, we’re going to fight that in the courts. We’re going to defend our professional civil servants.”
Friedson closed the event by speaking about the county government’s responsibility to provide support and services to residents. “While there were difficult days ahead, I also believe that with challenge comes opportunity … as we double down on our values, we must demonstrate our value as a county government to deliver quality services,” Friedson said. “We will ensure that Montgomery County remains a safe and welcoming place for all people. We will denounce hate in all its forms wherever it comes, and we will stand firm against any and all efforts to undermine our fundamental
