I want to thank Senators Whitehouse, Alsobrooks, Sanders, Merkley, Markey, Kelly, Padilla, Schiff, and Blunt Rochester for their leadership on holding Elon Musk and the White House accountable for the drastic actions it’s taken in the form of funding freezes, undermining money-saving energy secure projects and eliminating jobs nationwide. These actions have very real consequences- many of which will negatively impact Americans’ lives and our national and local economy. I’m grateful for their leadership to ensure that the American people’s rights are not being violated.
Ball testified that the actions of DOGE would particularly imperil three areas in Howard County: critical infrastructure, public safety and government operations. Should federal aid to Howard County be frozen or cut, the estimated total impact could be more than $150 million dollars.
Ball launched the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan in 2018 after the devastating and deadly floods that decimated Main Street in Ellicott City in 2011, 2016 and 2018.
Currently, federal funding for this plan includes a $75 million WIFIA loan from the Environmental Protection Agency and $20 million in funding from FEMA. The total Safe and Sound infrastructure plan costs roughly a quarter of a billion dollars, of which more than 1/3 is supported by federal funding. Uncertainty about federal funding places Howard County in an extremely precarious position, assuming tremendous financial risk. At least $20 million in FEMA funds for these projects have been halted pending review.
Additionally, more than $4 million in funds through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program have been paused, which jeopardizes electric vehicle charging projects planned in partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation.
On Wednesday, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued new guidance pausing competitive grants that are not under agreement or that have not been fully obligated. The new guidance places a focus on freezing federal USDOT grants that involve climate change activities, environmental justice, bicycle infrastructure, electric vehicles, and EV charging infrastructure. These recent actions could impact additional federal grants awarded to Howard County, including a federal Safe Streets for All grant for safety improvements along US1 corridor and federal Carbon Reduction Grants for Howard County. These important infrastructure funds support multimodal transportation to better connect residents to transit, as well as expanded access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Both are part of the County’s local strategy to combat climate change and promote energy independence.
Tens of thousands of Howard County residents are federal workers or contractors. Howard County receives the second highest amount of federal contracting dollars in the state of Maryland, totaling $6.1 billion in 2024 alone. In Maryland, recent estimates place the number of federal workers that have been fired, eliminated, or resigned at approximately 30,000.
Howard County has been a leader in responding to the DOGE cuts since they came down at the start of President Trump’s second term. Most recently, Howard County hosted its second townhall where U.S. Senators Van Hollen and Alsobrooks and U.S. Congresswoman Elfreth joined Ball at Howard Community College to listen to thousands of residents who were understandably concerned. This townhall follows the February 4th event where more than 400 residents attended.
A second Career and Resource Fair is scheduled for April 8th at 6:00pm at Howard Community College. On February 25th, the Howard County Office of Workforce Development hosted a Federal Workers Career Fair where more than 600 attendees were able to connect with employers.
On March 26th, the Howard County Economic Development Authority is hosting its annual Business Resource Expo, that is being refocused as the “From Federal Worker to GovCon Entrepreneur” event that will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Maryland Innovation Center in Columbia. Participants will have direct access to County and State programs that provide training, mentorship, and funding opportunities for small business owners and government contractors. The event will bring together economic development, procurement, and legal advisors to share insights on breaking into the industry.
The email address, hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov, was created in response to the many questions residents had following the flurry of actions stemming from the White House.