WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski along with Representatives Donna F. Edwards, Steny Hoyer, Chris Van Hollen, Elijah E. Cummings, and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced that the Treasury Department and General Service Administration (GSA) will delay their plan to move 450 jobs out of Prince George’s County to December 31, 2019. The initial plan by Treasury and GSA gave employees until January 2015 to either relocate or separate. Since the announcement in August, the members of the Maryland Congressional delegation have criticized the plan to move jobs out of Prince George’s County and negotiated with the Treasury Department for a delay.
The 450 positions are part of the Federal Management Services (FMS) facility in Hyattsville, Maryland. The Treasury Department had announced intentions to move the positions to Parkersburg, West Virginia next November as part of FMS’ consolidation with the Bureau of Public Debt (BPD).
“My colleagues and I have fought hard to keep FMS in Hyattsville and the Department of Treasury’s decision to remain in Prince George’s County for the next six years is very good news. Prince George’s County is ideally situated to serve the federal government and I will continue to work with the County and its business leaders to bring more federal facilities to the County,” said Senator Cardin.
“Today’s announcement is good news for jobs in Prince George’s County, for Maryland and for the duty driven civil servants at the Hyattsville FMS facility dedicated to good government and public service,” Senator Mikulski said. “We must have a more frugal government, but not one that hangs our people out to dry. Together with Team Maryland, I fought to keep these jobs in Prince George’s County. These hardworking civil servants have training, expertise and institutional knowledge that can’t be reproduced anywhere else. They deserve a government that is on their side, and I will continue to fight for them.”
“I applaud the decision by the Federal Management Services (FMS) to keep good-paying jobs in Hyattsville through 2019,” said Congresswoman Edwards. “This is a significant victory for our FMS workers and Prince George’s County. From the beginning, I fought to keep these jobs in Prince George’s County, and ensured that workers received the proper level of support to protect their well-being. I thank Senators Mikulski and Cardin, and the rest of the Maryland delegation, for their help on this important issue. Prince George’s County boasts a tremendous federal workforce. I will continue to fight on their behalf and bring further economic development to the county.”
“I’m pleased the Treasury Department has decided to delay their plan to move 450 jobs to West Virginia and will keep them in Prince George’s County for an additional five years,” said Congressman Hoyer. “I worked alongside the Maryland delegation to fight for these jobs and to ensure affected federal employees were not denied the rights and benefits they deserve. With a close proximity to our nation’s capital and with a significant portion of the federal workforce living in our community, Prince George’s County is well-suited for federal facilities, and I will continue working with federal, state and local officials to protect and bring additional job opportunities to Prince George’s County.”
“I applaud Treasury’s decision to extend the deadline for employees to develop their transition plans. This additional time will ensure that the transition process moves deliberately and transparently and that the employees who have dedicated years of service to FMS can make the best choice for themselves and their families,” said Congressman Van Hollen.
“I join my colleagues in welcoming the news that Federal Management Services will remain in Maryland for the next several years,” Congressman Elijah E. Cummings said. “The Treasury Department and GSA’s 450 employees are an integral part of our state’s economy. The agency’s decision to stay in Prince George’s County underscores a commitment not just to those families, but to the larger community as well. This is great news.”
“Maryland is home to hundreds of thousands of hard-working federal employees and we count on them to keep our government up and running smoothly,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “The people working at the Federal Management Service facility in Hyattsville are no different. By delaying the transfer of their positions to West Virginia, we have given them the time they deserve to make critical decisions about their next professional steps.”
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