Nancy Pelosi Slams Trump’s Cabinet for Being Out of Touch With Furloughed Workers

After Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary couldn’t fathom furloughed workers going to extreme lengths to make ends meet, Speaker Nancy Pelosi used Twitter to slam Trump’s entire cabinet.

During his Thursday appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross revealed he was aware that some federal workers who’ve been affected by the government shutdown had lined up at food banks and homeless shelters. But, according to Ross, he didn’t “really quite understand why” workers who had gone without pay would seek that type of help, as opposed to “borrowing from a bank or credit union.”

Pelosi took to her Twitter to respond to Ross’ insensitive remarks, while simultaneously slamming the Trump administration and Republicans who can’t relate to the financial perils many federal workers are facing.

Because the current occupant of the White House is holding them hostage, that's why. This just goes to show how out of touch Trump, his cabinet and Republicans in Washington are. They just don't understand what it means to live paycheck to paycheck. #TrumpShutdown https://t.co/fJtIxQhhgJ

— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) January 24, 2019

New York Democrat Chuck Schumer also weighed in, calling Ross’ comments “unreal.”

Wilbur Ross is @realDonaldTrump’s Secretary of Commerce.

Wilbur Ross is a billionaire.

And this is billionaire Wilbur Ross saying he doesn’t understand why federal workers not getting paid during the #TrumpShutdown don’t just take out loans *to feed their families*.

Unreal. pic.twitter.com/YHHZqKa8sx

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 24, 2019

The backlash comes after Ross acknowledged credit unions are offering workers interest-free loans to cover their missing paychecks they’ve yet to receive, while he also added, “So the 30 days of pay that people will be out – there’s no real reason why they shouldn’t be able to get a loan against it and we’ve seen a number of ads from the financial institutions doing that.”

CNBC made mention of banks that provide solutions for affected workers. However, two of the largest financial institutions, J. P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo, aren’t offering loans to affected government workers, opting instead to waive fees and provide “other assistance,” while the Navy Federal Credit Union is offering loans to only a limited number of its 8.1 million members.