Sep. 29—Thousands of people in Frederick County stand to lose income, public benefits and access to national parks if a government shutdown takes effect this weekend.
Congress has until the end of the night Saturday to pass a short-term funding bill that would keep the government open while lawmakers continue debating the content of long-term appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024.
The U.S. House on Friday considered, but failed to pass, a bill that would have provided reduced funding for the federal government through the end of October. The Senate has yet to vote on its own short-term funding bill, which was introduced on Thursday.
If Congress is unable to pass a stopgap measure, the shutdown will start at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. Frederick County residents would begin to feel the effects almost immediately.
According to a press release on Friday from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, more than 11,600 federal employees live in Frederick County.
"This looming economic disruption will reach far into our communities, affecting individuals, families, and the small businesses that serve this sizable workforce," Kate Stewart, chair of the council's board of directors, said in the press release.
According to the county's Office of Economic Development, more than 4,600 federal employees worked at over 70 federal government entities in Frederick County in the first quarter of 2023.
Many of these Frederick County workers would see their paychecks paused in the event of a government shutdown. Contractors for the federal government, who are not counted in the above figures, would likely also lose work.
U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin have joined other Democrats in introducing a bill to ensure back pay for federal contract workers if the government shuts down, according to a press release on Friday.
Fort Detrick, which supports all four military services and five different U.S. Cabinet departments, is Frederick County's largest single employer, according to the Maryland Department of Commerce.
In an interview on Friday, Fort Detrick spokeswoman Lanessa Hill said some facilities on the installation will continue performing "health, life and safety functions that are mission-essential" if a shutdown occurs.
Those facilities include the commissary, research labs, child care centers, and security gates. Hill said Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation services will not be affected as their funding is not tied to the appropriations process.
Other facilities at Fort Detrick will remain open with minimal staffing if a shutdown occurs, according to Hill. The military installation is awaiting further official guidance.