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Government shutdown clobbers food trucks in Washington, DC

January 7, 2019

Food truck operators in Washington, D.C., are among the many nongovernment workers suffering as a result of the government shutdown, according to Reuters. Nearly 800,000 government workers have been furloughed or are working without pay, many of them in the nation's capital.

The Corn Factory, one of about 400 food trucks serving the area, had not made a single sale by noon on Friday, according to its owner, Farida Abou Draa. Since the shutdown began two weeks ago, the truck has lost around $5,000 in sales. If the shutdown continues, the business, which serves Venezuelan and Mexican fare, will have to close, Abou Draa said.

The shutdown is due to an impasse between congressional Democrats, who control the House of Representatives as of Thursday, and President Trump over funding for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.

Trump on Friday said he was willing to keep the government closed for "months or even years."