Hagerstown Woman To Attend State Of The Union As Senator Van Hollen's Guest
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — On any other Tuesday, Lila Johnson would be cleaning a building just down the road but on this particular Tuesday, she took the day off to come to the State of the Union as the guest of Senator Chris Van Hollen to promote legislation that would secure back-pay for government contractors impacted by the shutdown.
For more than two decades, contract work was how Johnson earned her paycheck.
She drives more two hours from her Hagerstown home to D.C., where she cleans the Department of Agriculture building, working as a government contractor.
But Tuesday, her commute didn't stop there.
An extra mile up the road, Johnson is headed up to Capitol Hill, with a new friend in Maryland senator, Chris Van Hollen.
"He is such a nice guy," said Johnson. "and I want to support him for what he's working on."
Together, the two will attend the President's State of the Union address.
A 71-year-old grandmother and the lawmaker are now fighting to earn federally contracted employees, like Johnson, back-pay for the 35 days they were out of work during the government shutdown.
"I made it through, up until now," said Johnson. "but it was very devastating not to go to work and have a paycheck coming in."
Last month, senator Van Hollen spearheaded a bill to secure back-pay for federal employees but federal contractors are still in limbo.
"These people are living paycheck to paycheck," said Van Hollen. "They perform thankless but important services to government agencies. They had nothing to do with the shutdown."
So as the President prepares to deliver his message to the nation, Johnson hopes that he's listening too.
"I hope he will open up his heart and sign it," said Johnson. "So that everybody can be treated fairly. That's what I'm hoping for."
Johnson has been through past shutdowns and has never received back-pay. S
She said the thing she is most looking forward to Tuesday night, is meeting other lawmakers to tell them why she thinks that should change.
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