WASHINGTON — After 34 days of a government shutdown with no end in sight, this morning, Wilbur Ross said he didn’t “quite understand why” federal workers need to have food banks after missing a paycheck. This coming from someone who heads up the Commerce Department, which states as its main mission “promot[ing] job creation and economic growth” — while economists agree the shutdown is hurting the economy.

“It’s no wonder that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross doesn’t understand the plight of the 800,000 federal workers who have missed a paycheck due to Trump’s government shutdown,” said Caroline Ciccone, Executive Director of Restore Public Trust. “Ross has spent his career closing factories, laying off thousands of workers, and being unconcerned about the devastation of the people and communities he left behind. He is completely out of touch with the sacrifices hard working Americans have to make to support their families, and even led a company that perpetrated fraud and foreclosure.

“Wilbur Ross has been cagey when it comes to his own pocketbook – he’s been caught red-handed failing to divest his financial interests and has even been accused of insider trading.  And we don’t even know the whole truth, because his most recent financial disclosure hasn’t been released to the public. Americans deserve to know if Wilbur Ross is using his government job to make himself even richer while he mocks hardworking public servants. His comments about Americans missing their paychecks are outrageous, and disqualify him from the job.”

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