Labor Sec. Scalia responds to critics White House ignored memos about possible pandemic
Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia weighs in on the coronavirus response from the White House, outbreak impact on the economy.
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After the number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits broke a record high during the coronavirus crisis, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia on Tuesday explained how America will transition into reopening the economy.
“We got to get the virus under control as the first step toward fully reopening the economy,” Scalia told “America’s Newsroom.”
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Scalia added that three major pieces of legislation, including the coronavirus relief package, will help Americans transition into going back to work.
“I think once we deal with the health challenges that we face, we have the pieces in place to reopen the economy quickly," he said. "The small business loans in my view are very important because one key to reopening the economy is going to be keeping employer-employee relationships intact. That’s the aim of that bill.”
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Meanwhile, Trump is considering a second coronavirus task force focused on reopening the country’s economy as pandemic cases rise across the U.S.
“Thinking about it, getting a group of people and we have to open our country,” Trump said.
He continued, “You know, I had an expression, the cure can’t be worse than the problem itself. Right? I started by saying that and I continue to say it. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself. We got to get our country open."
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Scalia said that the “paid leave” bill, which had already begun to be implemented at the Department of Labor, will help reopen the economy.
“Keeping that connection of employer-employee is going to be a crucial step to keeping the economy open,” Scalia said.
As local restaurants, movie theaters, and more continue to shutter under the threat of the deadly virus, Trump signed a more than $2 trillion emergency stimulus bill that would send relief checks into the hands of individuals, families, and businesses large and small.
Fox News' Julia Musto contributed to this report.
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