BOISE, Idaho – Today, President Donald J. Trump announced that Idaho’s U.S. Senators, Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, will serve with a bipartisan group of congressional colleagues on the White House’s Opening Up America Again Congressional Group. The congressional group, in consultation with America’s governors and the administration, will work to develop guidelines on re-opening the economy in order to begin recovering from the economic strife caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am honored the President has asked me to serve on the Opening Up America Again Congressional Group,” said Risch. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created two unprecedented challenges. We must find a way forward that mitigates both loss of life and loss of families’ economic security as much as possible. There are no easy solutions to the challenges we face, but I am committed to working closely with my task force colleagues and the President to reopen the U.S. economy safely and quickly.”
“The health and overall wellbeing of Idahoans remains my number one priority,” said Crapo. “I am honored President Trump selected me to serve on this task force to get America’s economy back up and running safely and efficiently. I will continue to remain in close contact with Governor Little as he makes future determinations on re-opening the state’s economy and will work with him to ensure any actions taken are made with the best interests of all Idahoans in mind. Certain assurances need to be made, including widespread access to COVID-19 diagnostic and anti-body testing and the need to assure further government safety nets adequately reach smaller population communities and rural areas. Social distancing practices have helped slow the spread of the coronavirus across the country, and decisions moving forward need to take a sound, comprehensive approach grounded in medical and factual science. While we need to get our economy back up and running prosperously again, we must do so in a manner that does not undo the hard work Idahoans and Americans have put forth to protect public health during this difficult time. In the meantime, Congress needs to pass more critical funding for the Paycheck Protection Program as soon as possible to help sustain small businesses and small business employees.”
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