The Politics Hour: Federal cuts are hitting Montgomery County hard

Montgomery County is home to more than 50,000 federal workers and numerous federal agencies, so residents are feeling the impact of the weeks-long shutdown. Plus, the possibility remains for tens of thousands of federal employees to be fired as the shutdown continues. Local officials are sounding the alarm on rising rates of homelessness and longer lines at food banks. Council President Kate Stewart joined the show to discuss how the county is managing the crisis. She also weighed in on the Council's upheaval and Maryland lawmakers considering calling a special session of the General Assembly to redraw the state's congressional districts. This follows Republican-led redistricting efforts around the country, triggering similar efforts by Democrats, including in Virginia. Stewart said redistricting could flip Maryland’s lone Republican seat in Congress. It’s currently held by the leader of the House Freedom Caucus, Andy Harris. “We do need to get rid of Andy Harris. As someone who lives in the state of Maryland," she said. "Quite frankly, he does not represent the values of Maryland, and we need somebody else.”The D.C. Council voted this week to roll back tenant rights for some renters in the city. Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau got behind the mic to explain why she thinks this was a bad idea. Plus, we ask Nadeau about her decision not to run for reelection and her "bottle bill."The measure, introduced earlier this year, would add a ten-cent deposit to the price of most beverage containers while creating a system for people to get the deposit back when they return the empty bottles. Nadeau said fees from the big beverage companies would fund the system."It's all about getting litter up, and everybody hates litter. You know, this is the most effective way to cut litter off our streets, off our out of our parks, out of our rivers," she said.Send us questions and comments for guests: [email protected] us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org