Family-run businesses, contractors and tens of thousands of federal workers wait as Congress attempts to avoid government shutdown

Marty Nohe, who owns a family-run appliance store and distribution center in Woodbridge, Virginia, said his employees have asked him "why business was so quiet."

He said, "I told them, 'Haven't you been watching the news?'" 

He says he watched customer traffic dwindle at least twice in 2023 during the weeks when Congress nearly breached deadlines to avoid government shutdowns.