January 31, 2019
Media Contact:
Scott L. Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
Daniel Jacobs, Director of Communications, Congressman John Sarbanes, 202-225-4016
ELLICOTT CITY – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Congressman John Sarbanes today heard from nearly 30 federal contractors who described the impact of the recent historic 35-day government shutdown. The roundtable, held at the offices of Sparksoft in Columbia, was hosted in partnership with the Howard County Economic Development Authority and the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. Video of the event can be found at https://bit.ly/2G9MTcp and photos can be downloaded from https://bit.ly/2RXWE4q.
“These federal shutdowns have become too commonplace and we must do all we can to prevent these contractors and small businesses from being negatively impacted and punished in the future,” said Executive Ball. “Coming around this table, having this conversation, listening to these ideas and insights was invaluable.”
Some contractors who attended called for passage of legislation to ensure they would be paid during a shutdown. Others indicated they are now seeking shutdown clauses when they enter into new contracts. One minority-owned subcontractor who does marketing work for the U.S. Coast Guard said she hasn’t received payment since November, while another expressed fear he will lose good employees to jobs that promise more stability and uninterrupted paychecks. Some contractors indicated they would make no profit this year because of the shutdown.
“Howard County is home to many federal employees and federal contractors who felt tremendous pain from the Trump Shutdown,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “But when it comes to the negative impact of the shutdown, the federal contractor community has not received the attention it deserves. Hearing personal stories from contractors in my district gave me a new perspective and appreciation for the harm that this shutdown inflicted on them. I will continue to stand up and fight to ensure that they receive the compensation and workforce protections they deserve.”
Howard County Government and its community partners are continuing to provide special support services for those federal employees and contractors who were affected by the shutdown. A complete list of those services can be found at https://bit.ly/2Gb2I2u.