On Wednesday, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce President Angela Franco issued a statement warning that the federal government shutdown starting today will place significant strain on local businesses, particularly government contractors. She emphasized that the shutdown compounds recent losses in federal funding and job postings, creating additional financial pressure on companies and residents across the County.
“Because Montgomery County has the nation’s second largest federal presence, this shutdown could have detrimental consequences for our County’s government contractors. We can expect additional federal government contract delays to further complicate an already complex acquisition system – one that has faced major contract delays in recent months due to a reduced federal workforce.
According to the Brookings Institution’s newly released DMV Monitor, the County has the biggest 12-month percentage loss, 26.6% of any tracked jurisdiction for legally-binding funds committed to recipients throughout federally-awarded grants, contracts, loans and cooperative agreements.
This shutdown will put even more financial strain on Montgomery County’s businesses and residents. For example, as long as the shutdown continues, no new federal grants or contracts will begin. That means that Montgomery County companies could be further impacted by time and money that was spent pursuing new business opportunities that will not come to fruition.
In addition, it was also reported that Montgomery County has the second-worst percentage of job postings with a 7.8% decline over the past year.
Our country’s political system depends on collaboration between both parties to deliver a government that works. We urge Congress to find a way to negotiate year-long funding for FY2026 to avoid these stops and starts that harm state and local economies.”
