Commerce Chief Asks Why Furloughed Workers Are Using Food Banks

Commerce Chief Asks Why Furloughed Workers Are Using Food Banks

NEW YORK —

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, one of the richest people in President Donald Trump's Cabinet, is questioning why furloughed federal workers are reluctant to take out loans to get through the government shutdown.

Ross was asked on CNBC on Thursday about why some of the 800,000 workers currently not receiving paychecks are going to homeless shelters to get food.

Ross, whose financial disclosure forms reveal $700 million in assets, said he "didn't quite understand" why workers would do that.

He advocated that workers borrow from a bank or credit union, saying "there's no real reason why they shouldn't be able to get a loan against it."

The comments were the latest in a series of out-of-touch remarks about the shutdown from Trump officials. Trump said workers need to "make adjustments."

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