D.C. Food Bank Runs Dry as Democrats Call Suffering Families ‘Leverage’ [WATCH]

A Washington, D.C.-area food bank serving federal employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown ran out of supplies Friday morning while hundreds of workers were still waiting in line — just one day after House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) referred to struggling families as “leverage” in negotiations with Republicans.

The Capital Area Food Bank reported that its distribution site in northern Virginia was overwhelmed by the turnout of federal employees and contractors seeking food assistance.

The organization ran out of groceries “just over an hour into distribution,” according to PBS News correspondent Lisa Desjardins, who described a “massive line” of people waiting in their vehicles.

Desjardins noted that one woman in the car with her “teared up after hearing this” when told the supplies were gone.

NOW: massive line of fed employees, contractors at food bank in Northern Va.

And they are about to run out just over an hour into distribution. Took me 10 min to walk the full line.

Was in a car w a woman who teared up after hearing this. She shook it off but was shook. pic.twitter.com/sLWkD2ia3p

— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) October 24, 2025

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Similar scenes were reported across the Washington metropolitan area.

In Prince George’s County, Maryland, NPR documented “middle-class professionals lined up for boxes of pasta, protein, and produce to feed their families” at another Capital Area Food Bank site.

That distribution also ran out of food after providing boxes to 150 federal employees, forcing the organization to call in a second truck of supplies.

“After a two-hour wait, Wanda Bright had finally reached the front of the line — just as the first batch of supplies ran out,” NPR reported.

“Fortunately, reinforcements had been called in, and cheers erupted as a second truck backed into the shopping center parking lot.

Bright sighed with relief as volunteers handed over bread and other provisions to help get her family through the week.”

The shutdown, now in its 24th day, has left an estimated 700,000 federal workers without pay across the United States.

Update: they did run out with many many still in line.

The good team here @foodbankmetrodc gave those waiting written cards w other possible places to go. One person told me this was an all-time large shutdown response. pic.twitter.com/6kujSigkJ7

— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) October 24, 2025

Roughly one in five of those employees live in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, making the region particularly hard hit.

“I’ve not been in this predicament ever. I served 21 years in the military. I’ve been a federal government employee for the past two years,” one furloughed worker told NBC News while waiting in line for food in Prince George’s County.

“The reason I wanted to become a federal government employee was stability. That stability, that rug, if you will, has been snatched away from us.”

The federal government shutdown began after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement to fund operations before the most recent continuing resolution expired.

Negotiations between the House and Senate have stalled, with each party blaming the other for the ongoing impasse.

During an interview on Thursday, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark said Democrats view the shutdown as one of the few opportunities to exert political influence over budget negotiations.

“I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark said.

Clark went on to argue that Democrats have been willing to meet Republicans in discussions about funding priorities but have faced resistance.

“It is an inflection point in this budget process where we have tried to get the Republicans to meet with us and prioritize the American people, and it’s been an absolute refusal, and they were willing to let government shut down when they control the House, the Senate and the White House rather than come and talk about an issue as important to the American people as if they can afford healthcare,” she said.

🚨 @WhipKClark, the number two House Democrat, on the Democrat Shutdown: “Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”

These people are SICK! pic.twitter.com/7MRHsmGMGx

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 22, 2025

Republicans, however, have accused Democratic leaders of refusing to negotiate in good faith to reopen the government.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Democratic leaders have continued to reject GOP proposals for a clean continuing resolution that would temporarily fund the government while budget talks continue.

As the shutdown drags on, community organizations like the Capital Area Food Bank have shouldered the burden of assisting federal employees who are now turning to local aid networks for help.

The organization said it will continue operating pop-up food drives across the region to meet the growing demand as the funding standoff continues with no resolution in sight.