Lawmakers in Annapolis — motivated by the firing of thousands of federal workers — are looking to add $1.5 million to the attorney general’s budget to sue the Trump administration.

Del. Ben Barnes, chair of a House budget committee responsible for making state budget decisions, said he’ll tack an amendment for more lawsuit money to a bill already in progress.

The Democrat’s plans come as the state lawmakers grapple with a $3 billion budget hole and daily shockwaves from President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress ripple through their constituencies.

Businessman Elon Musk is spearheading Trump’s effort to cut the size of federal government, including firing employees. Musk’s actions are a threat to individuals and Maryland’s economy, Barnes said during a Wednesday bill hearing.

“We’re trying to work hand in hand with our attorney general on these issues and some of these potential illegal actions,” Barnes said.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office confirmed they’re working with the General Assembly to ensure they have the necessary resources and authority to protect Marylanders. Brown, a Democrat, launched plans to build a federal litigation team days after President Donald Trump’s election, and since the president’s second term has joined several lawsuits with other states.

A 2017 state law already allows the attorney general to file lawsuits challenging the federal government and requires money be set aside in each budget to do so. Gov. Wes Moore’s budget proposal allows Brown to repurpose certain funds for a federal litigation team.

Moore’s office said in a statement the governor is committed to working with the leaders of the General Assembly to pass a budget that ensures Brown’s office has adequate funding. A White House spokesperson did not respond to questions about the state planning for litigation.

Republican leaders have scrutinized the use of state funding, especially during a tough budget year, for what they say are politically motivated lawsuits.

Del. Jason Buckel, minority leader in the House of Delegates, said he opposes the additional funding when the state is talking about cutting funds for developmental disabilities services, health care and economic development programs.

“It’s hard to juxtapose those realities,” the Allegany County Republican said, adding that these lawsuits are going to happen whether Brown steps in or not.

“There’s lots of people out there with plenty of money and plenty of lawyers willing to sue the Trump administration to make the exact same points that Attorney General Brown wants to make,” he said. “The difference is that if somebody else does it, Maryland doesn’t get the publicity.”

There are roughly 160,000 civilian federal jobs in Maryland, according to state analysts, and far more workers for companies contracting with the federal government. And in 2021, federal wages brought in $1 billion in federal income tax revenues and $715 million in local tax revenue.

It’s unclear how many Maryland-based federal workers have lost their jobs. Many of those job cuts are being challenged in court. Federal contractors have filed notices of more than 1,250 planned layoffs since the beginning of February and Baltimore-based Global Refuge, which provides immigration and refugee services, has laid off nearly 400 people nationwide following the Trump administration curtailing those services.

The legislation carrying the fund-boosting amendment is a financial aid bill sponsored by Del. Jazz Lewis. Lewis agreed to Barnes’ suggested amendment.

“We are still in discussions on final figures for increases of the Attorney General’s budget to fight Trump’s unlawful purging of government workers,” the Prince George’s County Democrat said in a statement.

The core of the Protect Our Federal Workers Act would allow the state to offer out-of-work federal employees small, no-interest loans on top of unemployment insurance. The state already had the fund in place to help federal workers during federal government shutdowns and most recently used it to help workers affected by the Key Bridge collapse.

The loans could mean an additional $700 for each individual federal worker, even if two or more live in the same household. During a hearing on the bill Tuesday, Barnes asked Lewis if he’d welcome an amendment to add funds for Brown’s federal litigation efforts. Lewis agreed.

He said he wants to keep Maryland’s highly educated and skilled workforce in the state while they look for new jobs.

Lewis said he intended to support “indispensable” federal employees amid the “current administration’s destabilizing actions” and that he wants workers to know “their state will not shrink from the assignment in this hour, that we will have their back.”

The emergency bill is expected to come up for a committee vote later this week.