Commerce secretary takes heat for urging furloughed workers to apply for loans during shutdown

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Some furloughed federal workers considering career change as partial government shutdown drags on

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross faced criticism Thursday for saying he doesn’t know why furloughed federal workers turn to food banks to stay afloat during the government shutdown when they could just as easily apply for a loan.

One of the richest members of Trump’s Cabinet told CNBC that the 800,000 federal workers not receiving a paycheck should turn to financial institutions for money.

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“The obligations that they would undertake — say borrowing from a bank or credit union — are in effect federally guaranteed,” Ross said. “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.”

Ross said some banks and credit unions are offering to work with affected workers.

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, file photo, President-elect Donald Trump, left, stands with investor Wilbur Ross after meeting at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster clubhouse in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

“When you think about it, these are basically government-guaranteed loans, because the government has committed,” he said. “These folks will get their back pay once this whole thing gets settled down.”

Democrats swiftly accused Ross of being tone deaf.

“Those comments are appalling and reveal the administration's callous indifference towards the federal workers it is treating as pawns,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. "Secretary Ross's comments are the 21st-century equivalent of 'let them eat cake.'"

Federal workers "can't call their stockbroker and ask them to sell some of their shares," Schumer continued. "They need that paycheck."

Federal workers are about to miss their second paycheck since the partial shutdown began, as the stalemate enters its fifth week with no end in sight.

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Ross later went on Bloomberg TV Thursday to clarify his comments were meant to make people aware of ways to get through the shutdown.

“Well first of all, there are people experiencing hardships,” Ross said. “We had a lengthy session with some of the large portion of the workforce yesterday, trying to make sure we understand what their problems are and we are trying to do our best to mitigate them.”

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“That is why the president passed the legislation guaranteeing that they will eventually get paid,” he continued. “A lot of his motivation and proposing a compromise solution to the shutdown yesterday. So we are aware, painfully aware, that there are hardships inflicted on the individual workers.”

Wilbur Ross has stake in a shipping company called Navigator Holdings, the documents reveal. (The Associated Press)

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Ross, an investor, is reported to be worth about $700 million.

He is one of the few remaining original members of Trump’s Cabinet.