Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman join AFSCME members to discuss impact of “Big Beautiful Bill” on public services and Maryland working families
Governor Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, AFSCME President Lee Saunders and AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran met with hundreds of public service workers from across Maryland to discuss the state’s response to federal budget cuts impacting health care, education, infrastructure and more
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Today, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, AFSCME President Lee Saunders and AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran joined AFSCME members — the public service workers who keep Maryland running — to discuss the effects that the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” will have on working families, as well as strategies to mitigate impacts and protect public services for Maryland’s communities.
Maryland, which relies on federal funding for nearly one third of its state budget, could see over 200,000 people lose health coverage due to Medicaid cuts. And 57,000 Marylanders — including many children — could lose food assistance because of the Big Beautiful Bill. AFSCME members are the public service workers who deliver these lifesaving services and have been mobilizing to protect Maryland’s hospitals, schools, infrastructure and more from devastating funding cuts. Working with Governor Wes Moore, AFSCME members are mobilizing to protect Maryland’s public services and retain the staff and resources necessary to make these services happen.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said:
“Unions never stop fighting for what they believe in — you are the boots on the ground. It took boots on the ground to deliver millions of dollars in backpay to state workers that were illegally withheld by our predecessors. It took boots on the ground to boost the minimum wage and increase wages for state employees. And it took boots on the ground to pass collective bargaining rights for state supervisors and library workers. In Maryland, we are going to continue to lead with our values. We are going to continue to stand with our unions. And we are going to continue to protect our people — our unions will help to lead the way.”
AFSCME President Lee Saunders said:
“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Our government has been taken over by billionaires and Project 2025 fanatics. They’re rolling back our workplace safety, shredding collective bargaining agreements, and firing thousands of federal workers, including AFSCME members, many right here in Maryland. And now, just as the President’s erratic policies and anti-worker attacks stifle the entire economy, we’re bracing for trillion-dollar cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. AFSCME fought the ‘big ugly bill’ tooth and nail. But now that it’s law, we are getting organized and building the power to hold anti-worker politicians accountable and protect our communities.”
AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran said:
"With an anti-worker White House and increasing attacks on working people and our public services, it’s crucial we have leaders in Maryland who are defending and protecting our communities from hostile federal decisions. We’re proud to have Governor Wes Moore and Comptroller Brooke Lierman as partners in Annapolis to ensure that Maryland’s public services are protected and the people who provide them are respected. We look forward to continue working with the Governor and Comptroller to fulfill their promises of expanding collective bargaining rights in Maryland, ensuring fair and productive contract negotiations between workers and management, and improving wages and staffing levels across the state.”
###
About AFSCME
AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.
About AFSCME Maryland Council 3
AFSCME Maryland Council 3 represents nearly 50,000 public service workers in local, city, county and state government as well as in higher education and the private sector who provide the valuable public services that our communities rely on. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, we make Maryland happen.