Josh Hawley demands reopening economy be the focus of next virus rescue bill

Sen. Josh Hawley on Friday demanded Congress limit any future coronavirus rescue package to measures that get Americans back to work.

Capitol Hill Democrats are clamoring for a “Phase 4” stimulus bill after Congress passed nearly $500 billion in extra rescue money Thursday, bringing the total economic stimulus spending for the coronavirus crisis to nearly $3 trillion.

“Here’s what we need to focus on going forward: Jobs. We’ve got 27 million people unemployed,” Mr. Hawley, Missouri Republican, said on Fox News. “Government shut down the economy in order to deal with this health crisis. We need to get that economy opened back up and to do that we’ve got to get people back to work.”

Mr. Hawley cautioned against what he called Democrats’ “wishlist” for more spending, including at least $500 billion to bail out state budgets that have been decimated by the economic shutdown.

“My message to my colleagues is jobs, jobs, jobs. Any future rescue package has got to focus on getting people rehired, supporting the payrolls of business so that workers can get their jobs back, have their wages covered and get back to work,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, has put the brakes on any more stimulus bills. He has said he doesn’t want any more bills passing Congress is back in full.

President Trump also has backed another stimulus package that would deliver aid to states and possibly invest in a major infrastructure program that long has been a top priority for the administration.