♪ JEFF: We interrupt scheduled programming for an address to the state by Governor Wes Moore.

GOVERNOR WES MOORE: At 12:01 this morning, the Federal Government shut down.

And tonight, I'd like to speak with you about how we got here, about what this shutdown means for you and for your family, and also the actions that we are taking to help Marylanders.

First, who shut down the Federal Government?

I mean, after all, a shutdown doesn't just happen, It's a choice.

So let there be absolutely no mistake: We are here because Washington broke its pact with all 50 states.

It's a pact that says that the Federal Government is an invaluable partner to ensure that every state can achieve its greatest ambitions.

It's a pact that says if the Federal Government provides the resources, the states will administer the programs.

It's a pact that says we must work together for the betterment of our people.

One third of Maryland's annual budget is made up of federal funds, and that's true for almost all of our neighbors all across the country.

We rely on more than $370 million in federal support each week to run health care and food assistance programs.

So why did federal leaders walk away from their obligations to Maryland and also to all of our 49 other neighbors?

Why did Washington look at all of us and say, "You're on your own?"

The answer is equal part simple and frustrating.

The President of the United States couldn't close a deal on making health care more affordable.

So, right now, the country is barreling towards enormous spikes in healthcare costs.

As many as 190,000 Marylanders could see their monthly premiums go up by an average of 68%.

I'm already hearing from Marylanders who are trying to sort out how they're going to make their monthly budgets work if these costs continue to climb.

Leaders in Congress called on the President to use his authority as chief executive to work with Congress to keep health care more affordable.

And Donald Trump didn't just say no -- he would rather see the government shut down than negotiate in good faith.

And now we're here.

And the consequences are staggering.

A shutdown means wages lost.

A shutdown means programs shuttered.

A shutdown means projects scrapped.

So we're all disappointed by this outcome.

But truthfully, none of us should be surprised because any Marylander can tell you, the president has been shutting down the government since his inauguration.

Donald Trump has fired more than 15,000 federal workers in our state since he took office.

It's the greatest federal job loss of any state in the entire country.

And even when the government was open, policies from this White House have been making our lives harder.

Maryland families are seeing prices go up on everything because of these misguided tariff policies that are coming from Washington.

More than 8 in 10 Marylanders say that grocery prices are now starting to outpace their income.

Marylanders have seen electricity rates go up by as much as 15 and $16 a month since Donald Trump was sworn in.

And listen, I'm in our communities every single day.

I hear about these issues from you every single day.

And under this president, they're only getting worse.

Trump's domestic policy agenda could kick off a quarter of a million Marylanders from their health care.

More than 684,000 Marylanders, including seniors, including children, including veterans, could see their food assistance cut.

And by the way, that's greater than the entire population of Baltimore City.

So I want to be very clear: These impacts do not hurt a specific party or a specific zip code.

They're going to hurt all of us.

People from Mountain Maryland to the eastern shore, and everywhere in between.

Over 21,000 Marylanders in Wicomico county could lose their SNAP benefits.

The same goes for 60,000 people who are Western Maryland who rely on SNAP to pay for their groceries.

Carroll County has over $25,000 Marylanders on Medicaid, and many of them are now at risk of having their health coverage completely stripped away.

These hits to employment and government contracts could serve as one of the most significant strikes to wealth creation that Prince George's County has seen in generations.

Longshoremen in the Port of Baltimore -- they're seeing traffic slow because of the tariffs on some of our largest import partners, including Brazil, and the list goes on and on, from Salisbury to Glen Burnie, from St.

Mary's to Frostburg.

So, listen, I know there is a very real and justified fear in all of our communities.

The firings, the high prices, and now, the shutdown.

But in Maryland, we will never let fear stop us from protecting each other.

In the military, I learned to live by the motto, "Leave no one behind."

In this moment, that's exactly what Marylanders want to do.

So I'd like to discuss three actions that we are taking today to protect Marylanders from the immediate consequences of this Federal Government shutdown.

First, I've directed our state agencies to deploy shutdown contingency plans.

We will work together to ensure that state employees are supported with federal funding continue to get paid for as long as possible.

Federal programs administered by the state, programs like Medicaid, programs like SNAP, will continue to operate.

And we'll also provide greater flexibility to Head Start programs and ensure that veterans can continue to get the access to essential requirements and resources that they need.

Just because the federal government backs away from its responsibility to govern does not mean we will.

But I do want to be clear: The longer this shutdown lasts, the harder it is to keep basic services afloat.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and we will also make sure we're adjusting accordingly.

Second, we are working with the private sector to shield federal workers from eviction and foreclosures and also from utility shutoffs.

Just this morning, I sent letters to the state judiciary and utility companies reminding them of their statutory legal protections for federal, state, and local government employees who are not receiving a paycheck, or who are at risk of eviction or foreclosure.

If you are a federal worker and you are not getting paid because of this shutdown, it is very important that you know your rights.

And to learn more about consumer protections that we have put in place, I encourage everyone to visit GO.MD.GOV/FEDERALSHUTDOWN.

And third, we are protecting and expanding emergency assistance programs for federal workers.

If you're a furloughed employee, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance.

Those who receive unemployment will repay the funds once they start receiving a paycheck again.

We've worked with our credit unions, we've worked with our banks to make sure that we can offer financial assistance and payment flexibility for Marylanders who are affected by the shutdown.

And I encourage all federal workers to contact their credit union or bank for more information.

Now, we also know the president has been very vocal about his interests in accelerating federal firings during this shutdown.

So today, I am announcing that we are extending support for our landmark "Feds to Eds" program to help those who lose their jobs get back on their feet.

This creative program helps to address the teacher shortage by getting interested and qualified federal employees trained and certified and get them in the classroom as quickly as possible.

And this program is already delivering results.

Our federal workers want to serve, and we are working hard to help them to continue to do it.

So to learn more about the benefits that you may be entitled under our shutdown plan, please go to GO.MD.GOV/FEDERALSHUTDOWN.

I also want to emphasize that our website features resources for veterans and servicemembers.

It's not lost to me that about one in four of our federal workers is a veteran.

And as a veteran myself, I am here to say to all of our veterans and their families that in Maryland, "We've got your six."

These are the three steps that we are taking effective today: First, keep government programs running, and keep state employees on the job.

Second, deliver protections that help Marylanders keep a roof over their heads, keep their lights on, and keep groceries in the fridge.

Third, expand emergency resources for federal workers who are furloughed, who are fired, or asked to work without pay.

These are the immediate actions that we are prepared to announce right now, and we will continue to keep you updated if this shutdown continues.

But in this moment, it can't be government alone that steps into the breach.

We as a society share a collective responsibility to help each other.

So if you know a federal worker who's been furloughed, or a family member who is uncertain about their benefits, or you live in a community that is anchored by a federal facility, we need your help, too.

Check in on your neighbors.

Lend a hand if you can.

Make sure that your people are okay.

Because the truth is, we may be in this for the long haul.

I want to be very honest with you tonight, as I always have: The longer this shutdown lasts, the more likely we are to see serious damage.

We could see big infrastructure projects delayed.

We could see military families going without pay for weeks.

We could see entrepreneurs and small businesses go into the red.

We will do everything in our power to deliver relief to those who are struggling and continue to diversify Maryland's economy.

But I need to be direct with you: No state is prepared to fill the gap that is being created by this federal administration.

So on behalf of six and a half million Marylanders, my message to President Trump is crystal clear: Stop this shutdown.

You're the one causing it.

But we are the ones feeling it.

It's not Maryland.

I know this is a difficult moment.

But also, this is not the time for us to feel powerless.

It's a time for us to understand our power.

While Congress runs up the national debt, we in Maryland have turned an inherited budget deficit into a surplus.

While the Federal Government crafts policies that makes our economy weaker, we in Maryland have attracted more than $4 billion in private investment.

While Congress cuts taxes for billionaires, we worked with the General Assembly to cut taxes for the middle class and asked those who have done very well financially to invest a little more so we can support our firefighters and our police officers.

While the president calls in our National Guard to cities so he can distract from an unpopular agenda, we in Maryland have moved in partnership to break the back of violent crime and have shown that you can achieve performance without being performative.

While the White House tries to freeze funding that has already been approved by Congress for transportation and education, in Maryland, we've pushed to improve our transportation systems and ensure our K-12 schools are the best in the nation.

So despite headwinds from Washington, our state continues to move forward.

Despite the chaos in Washington, Maryland continues to show there is a better way.

A few weeks ago, I was in Baltimore, and I met a woman who is living in a new and affordable housing unit that our administration helped to build.

We talked about how she was doing, and we talked about all the struggles of this moment.

But in the end, she said something that I won't forget.

She just simply said, "Thank God we're in Maryland."

And she wasn't just speaking for herself.

She was speaking for the Federal worker fired without cause who knows that we will not abandon them.

She was speaking for the immigrant who sees and knows that we will always follow the Constitution of the United States in Maryland and protect the rights and the liberties of all.

She was speaking for the Black entrepreneur who goes to bed at night, knowing that in Maryland, we refuse to ban books and erase history and undermine progress.

She was speaking for the family in the eastern shore that no longer has to travel hours to see a doctor, because the investments that we proudly made in the UM Shore Regional Medical Center even as the federal government tries to pull a quarter of a billion dollars from Maryland's rural hospitals.

Thank God we're in Maryland.

She was speaking for all of us.

This is a state where we protect each other, even when the arrows are sharp and even when the swords are strong.

We always stand tall, and in Maryland, we will never bend the knee.

So, Maryland, we're going to be okay.

We have faced hard times before, and we will face them again.

And we will get through this moment as we always have.

Together.

May God bless the great state of Maryland.

And may we all continue to do the work to leave no one behind.

JEFF: Now, we return you to regular programming in progress.

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