The Trump administration’s focus on tariffs and mass firings of federal employees continues to negatively affect the DMV, especially Prince George’s and Charles County, with business owners and political leaders worrying about reduced consumer spending and shrinking local revenues.
Prince George’s County Councilmember Eric Olson (D) explained that higher prices, particularly of groceries, will take up a large proportion of household budgets and limit spending, impacting local businesses, government and revenue.
“People are going to start cutting back on their spending, and that affects the economy, that affects our restaurants, that affects our local businesses,” Olson said in an interview with University of Maryland’s The Diamondback.
Tariffs operate as a sales tax on imported goods, raising prices for consumers and local businesses alike. For instance, tariffs on Canadian lumber and steel will raise the cost of building new homes and cars, while tariffs on imported food will raise grocery prices.
Adventist Healthcare, which planned to replace its southern Prince George’s hospital, is expecting that the previous $250 million project cost will be raised significantly and will likely delay the timeline of the project.
The tariffs are also likely to reduce commercial traffic to the Port of Baltimore, a major source of revenue for Maryland.
Congressman Johnny Olszewski (D- District 2) wrote on X that the Port of Baltimore, which supports nearly 140,000 jobs, is the nation’s top-importer of foreign made vehicles.
U.S. Sen Angela Alsobrooks’ (D-Md.) first bill was to study the impacts of tariffs on consumer goods; however, her bill was ultimately killed by Senate Republicans.
“The president readily admits that these tariffs will disrupt the economy, but he claims two things: that there will only be a minor disruption and says they will cause ‘a little bit’ of pain. Maybe it will only be minor to those who are billionaires,” she said on April 2. She notes that average Americans will feel the squeeze of rising prices.
“But to everyday Americans? To the people who go to work every day to provide for their families? The families like the family I grew up in, a blue-collar family, a father who is a car salesman and the mother who is a receptionist, well they can’t afford any disruptions and they cannot afford any further pain. They deserve instead to know the truth about the Trump tariffs on the front end.”
‘With These Tariffs We Can’t Bring in New Merchandise‘
Oxon Hill staple Linen World, owned by Jason Gaister, is closing at the end of the month or when merchandise runs out, citing rising costs and uncertainties as a result of tariffs.
Gaister reported that February had the lowest sales they had seen in 37 years, and he believes that other local businesses will also be forced to close.
“A lot of the federal workers around here not knowing what’s going on with their jobs, it’s caused a decline in sales,” said Gaister. “With these tariffs we can’t bring in new merchandise and we can’t afford to raise our prices the way we would have to.”
Herb Banks’ Copper Compass distillery, based in Waldorf, has experienced revenue decline as consumers across the region tighten their pockets.
“We’re just trying to stay operational for as long as we can,” said Banks.
Concerns About Social Security
Cuts to Social Security Administration staff and offices have also created significant barriers for seniors and disabled Americans who rely upon these payments for day to day expenses.
Prince George’s had over 129,000 residents receiving OASDI benefits and more than 3,300 residents receiving supplemental Social Security income (SSI) in 2023.
Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley warned that the cuts by the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) threaten “system collapse and an interruption of benefits.”
Maryland Democratic U.S. Rep Glenn Ivey was joined by AFGE Local 3615 President Shadone Taylor and several Prince George’s legislators at a press conference at the Seabrook Social Security office on April 16 to discuss the impact of scaling back accessible services on everyday Americans.
“Our concern is that it’s only going to get worse. The Trump administration has fired 7,000 Social Security administration employees, and they continue to fire more,” said Ivey. “They have been reducing the amount of time it takes to respond, but now, with the firing of people who would answer the phones or open the offices, people can’t get the services they need.”