When President Donald Trump delivers his address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, federal workers he let go will be in the House chamber, looking right back at him.

Two Baltimore Democratic representatives are bringing a former employee as their guest to send a message to the President.

Katie Stahl got her termination notice on Valentine’s Day.

She had been working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Annapolis since 2019 but had started a new job there in October so she was on probation.

Stahl said while she doesn’t like the spotlight, she’ll attend the president’s address to send him a message.

“I’m just hoping that by being there, it’s a reminder that these are real people,” Stahl said. “We’re not just numbers. And that there’s an understanding of the important work that federal workers are doing.”

Stahl said the impact goes beyond the thousands of people who are losing their jobs due to the administration’s plan to downsize the federal government.

“There are harmful impacts to the Chesapeake Bay and to wildlife that I was helping to restore,” Stahl said.

She will be Maryland Rep. Johnny Olszewski’s guest on the House floor. Olszewski said his office has been collecting stories from constituents who have been laid off from their federal jobs.

Olszewski said he was struck by Stahl’s story. She was hired during Trump’s first term, then was on probation only because she was succeeding at her job and had been promoted to a new position.

“And she was helping Maryland farmers,” Olszewski said. “She was supporting agriculture, the (Chesapeake) Bay, the environment, all things that we care about and promote.”

Matthew Fessler will also be in the room for Trump’s speech.

Fessler was laid off from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in Woodlawn. His job there was to find waste, fraud and abuse in that agency. He is the guest of Maryland Rep. April McClain Delaney.

Fessler said if he could speak to the President, he would ask him to be sure his agenda is helping people.

“I think that is the main mission of any elected official is to make sure that they’re serving the public good,” Fessler said.

Both Fessler and Stahl tell similar stories of how they were notified they had lost their jobs, then quickly were locked out of their work computers.

Fessler said his termination message came from someone he had never met, who said he was unqualified.

“It was really weird that could be able to judge me on my knowledge, skills and abilities and my performance,” Fessler said.

Delaney said Democrats, who are in the minority in the U.S. Congress, are courting public opinion.

“Enough is enough,” Delaney said. Do you really realize the long term impact?”

WYPR will carry the President’s speech live Tuesday, beginning at 9:00 pm.