Washington—Heritage Action for America released the following statement by Vice President Jessica Anderson, responding to ongoing negotiations in Congress over possible economic measures to respond to COVID-19:
As congressional leaders consider possible responses to the developing COVID-19 crisis, they should make decisions to promote public health, not special interests or a liberal wishlist.
The fundamentals of the United States economy are strong, yet some in Washington are discussing emergency stimulus packages. Instead of using this developing crisis to prop up politically connected industries or to advance unrelated liberal policy changes, any emergency response should focus on preventing the spread of the coronavirus, which has not yet significantly affected most of the country. Furthermore, any economic relief package should target areas and workers which are currently suffering from the virus. An “epidemic tax credit,” for instance, would reimburse firms in epidemic zones for giving workers paid leave. This would both limit the spread of the disease and help American workers most affected by the virus.
The state of our economy is still strong, and we should keep it that way. A broad stimulus package to prop up certain industries would be Washington at its worst — taking advantage of a public crisis to help private interests. Congress should focus its efforts on limiting the spread of the virus and helping those most affected — that’s the only way to keep our country and our economy safe.