Democrat discontent: New Maryland House representatives have a message for their party

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Newly elected Maryland Representative April McClain-Delaney (D) is working to manage more than 4,000 phone calls, emails and in-person visits to her office every week. She's one of three women to join Maryland's congressional delegation in 2025, ending six years of an all-male federal elected contingency.

Constituents are lighting up phone lines and email inboxes because the Trump Administration’s colossal reset of the federal workforce and resources is either affecting them directly or they’re concerned about where it leads.

The Trump administration’s directive for massive federal workforce reductions is causing a great deal of uncertainty for employees in our area. With agencies across the nation under orders to downsize, the fate of thousands of federal workers remains up in the air.

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The speed and scope of cuts to federal agencies ordered by President Donald Trump are unprecedented in U.S. government history. Federal agencies, including most recently the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are now faced with the difficult decision of who stays and who goes. The ongoing downsizing has left many employees puzzled about the reasons for their termination and unsure of their future.

The Democratic minority in Congress has been virtually powerless to stymie any changes. Republicans are, to this point, mainly united, with many agreeing with the cuts, while others are hesitant to publicly oppose the White House's moves.

Democratic Leaders Speak Out

Two of Maryland's newly elected representatives, Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-MD) and Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), spoke to 7News about their interactions with constituents, many of whom are federal employees affected by the cuts. Their districts together represent nearly 80,000 federal workers.

Rep. McClain Delaney shared the emotional toll these conversations take. She says constituents approach her everywhere with questions, including the grocery store parking lot.

“First of all, you're dealing with their bewilderment. And then they say, 'What do I do?'” she said.

Rep. Elfreth also offered support to those facing uncertainty, advising workers to file appeals and contact their unions. “These are really tough conversations,” she said. “I tell them to file an appeal. I tell them to talk to their union, and I tell them I'm fighting for them each and every day in Congress.”

The Latest Round of Cuts: Health and Human Services Faces 20,000 Layoffs

The most recent round of cuts, announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will see a reduction of 20,000 workers in the department. Other federal agencies are also under pressure by the White House to scale back their ranks.

Rep. Elfreth expressed her concern about the long-term consequences, warning that the cuts will make Americans “definitely less safe.”

Rep. McClain Delaney echoed this sentiment, adding, “If anything, it's making us sicker, less healthy, impacting our U.S. competitiveness, undercutting our national security.”

A Call for Change in Democratic Messaging

Democratic voters are pushing lawmakers to respond more forcefully and cohesively to the new White House policies. According to Rep. McClain Delaney, the party has struggled with a clear and coordinated message in response to President Trump.

“All I'm seeing on both sides of the aisle, everywhere, is terror, hurt, confusion, chaos,” she said. “Yes, our Democratic message has not been as coordinated and collaborated as it should have been, and I think in part because we have never seen anything like this.”

Rep. Elfreth, meanwhile, believes the key issue for Democrats should be addressing affordability concerns that have dominated voter discussions.

SEE ALSO | Public health expert says 'there's no way we won't regret cuts' at Health & Human Services

“A lot of what drove the results of the last election were concerns, real concerns, about affordability, the housing crisis, prescription drug affordability, energy affordability, and we're not seeing that conversation even happen in our Congress right now,” she said. “We're not seeing it from the White House.”

Elfreth emphasized that Democrats should focus on issues such as mortgage payments, gas prices, and grocery costs.

“House Democrats are trying to bring us back to this issue of, hey, people are struggling to pay their mortgage and fill up their gas tank and put groceries on the table, and we're the party that's going to focus on those affordability issues,” she said.

Constituent Calls Flood Offices

For McClain-Delaney and Elfreth, their offices are handling an influx of calls from their constituents, many of whom are federal employees facing job cuts. McClain-Delaney noted that many of the calls are coming from Trump supporters, particularly in western Maryland counties, who are now directly impacted by the White House’s downsizing and policy initiatives.

“People don't realize the impact of a lot of these cuts until it hits them,” she said. “And there's going to be a big public outcry.”

Rep. Elfreth echoed the sentiment, stressing that her job as an elected official is to listen to her constituents and take action.

“My job as an elected official is to sincerely hear the concerns of my constituents and then fight like hell to do something to solve that problem,” she said.

Fighting for Laid-Off Workers

Both Representatives say they have been working tirelessly to assist laid-off federal employees, helping them navigate the process to determine if their firings were legal and connecting them to available resources and job opportunities.

Visit our 7News YouTube channel, where you can watch unedited versions of these interviews.