WASHINGTON — Legislation introduced by two Maryland Democrats on Tuesday would ensure that some federal workers who were fired since President Donald Trump took office would get credit for the time they already worked as probationary employees if they’re rehired.

The Protect Our Probationary Employees Act — from U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen — is the first piece of legislation aimed at protecting federal workers that at least some Republicans have signed on to this year.

It has a slim chance of passing the Republican-dominated Congress, where the majority party has mostly supported Trump and Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk’s dismantling of agencies. Their efforts have been stalled by some court actions, though Trump has insisted he and his team “have to” cut down the size of the government.

“We’re bloated. We’re sloppy. We have a lot of people that aren’t doing their job,” he said during a Cabinet meeting late last month.

But Elfreth said her goal was to propose a “very simple idea” that could gain bipartisan support — one that helps the most affected subset of federal employees so far.

“Arbitrarily firing thousands of federal workers is nothing short of disastrous,” Elfreth said outside the U.S. Capitol alongside nine federal workers who were recently laid off while on probationary status.

Hyattsville resident Daniel Leckie said his firing was shocking because of its timing and in more ways than one.

After receiving his termination notice on Feb. 14, his last day was scheduled for just two days before his one-year probationary period would have ended and given him more job protections. He’d moved across the country from California last February, feeling like he was “called up to the big leagues” to work as a historic preservation specialist at the General Services Administration.

In view of some of the buildings he worked to preserve, he recalled the birth of his first child in September and becoming a first-time homeowner in December.

“Today, I’m scared. I’m scared for what the next few months look like. I’m scared for those that depend on me and my salary. I’m scared to lose the home we haven’t even finished unpacking yet,” Leckie said. “I’m also sad for us all though because my work matters and these people’s work matters. Without folks like me, there’d be no one to ensure our nation’s most important historic buildings and sites are protected from ill-conceived government actions that carelessly degrade and inevitably erase them.”

Anthony Johnson II, who worked in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay office in Annapolis, said his work there involved maintaining the system of scientific buoys across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

It was a “special landing spot” in August after he grew up in Waldorf and earned his master’s degree from the University of Miami after having eight internships in his field.

“I saw myself working there for years,” said Johnson, whose Feb. 27 termination notice came with the standard language that many other probationary workers received — that he was not fit for the job because of his ability, knowledge and skills.

“My termination and others from our positions at NOAA may result in drastic consequences to our ecosystem and livelihood,” Johnson said. “The shortage of federal workers to manage our sustainable fisheries, climate resiliency and environmental literacy work may impact our environment and economy.”

As many as 29,000 federal workers in Maryland have already been fired or are expected to be impacted in the next year because of Trump’s actions and plans moving forward, state officials said last week. About 15,000 are probationary employees.

The workforce loss is especially meaningful in Maryland, where the federal government employs a higher percentage of workers than other states. The firings, for example, are compounding already problematic state budget issues, leading officials to add another $280 million to the roughly $3 billion budget deficit.

The state’s federal lawmakers have supported legal efforts for probationary and other impacted workers to regain their jobs. Van Hollen said the legislation he introduced with Elfreth is part of that work.

“It is time for all of us to make sure that we back these patriotic federal employees who wrongfully lost their jobs. That’s what this bill is about,” Van Hollen said. “It’s making sure that when we accomplish that goal, we provide that fairness to say, ‘You’ve already done this work on behalf of the American people and you get full credit for that good work.’”

Two of the roughly 40 co-sponsors to Elfreth’s version of the bill in the U.S. House are Republicans: U.S. Reps. Michael Baumgartner of Washington and Jeff Hurd of Colorado.

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