Sen. Cruz: It's Time to Reopen the Economy and Get Texans Back to Work

HOUSTON, Texas - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) appeared on Lubbock's KCBD News Channel 11 during his statewide tele-tour to talk about the importance of defeating the coronavirus pandemic, getting our economy back on its feet, and getting Texans and the American people safely back to work.

Explaining the dangers of keeping the economy closed for too long, Sen. Cruz said:

"We've got to deal with the economic devastation of all of the people who are hurting and I'll tell you it is time for Texans to go back to work. I'm very glad that both the President and the governor are laying out a specific time frame, a specific plan to get Texans back to work. Because the consequences of this economic shutdown are serious and dire. Millions of small businesses, restaurants and bars and bowling alleys and movie theaters and oilfield services companies all facing potentially going out of business.

"Congress passed emergency legislation that gives short term loans to these small businesses to try to keep them alive to make it through. But we need to get people back to work. That's how you really ensure the small businesses can survive. And we need to get people where they can provide for their family and I'm working hard to do that."

When asked about the striking the right balance between opening the economy and protecting public health, Sen. Cruz said:

"I think we can do things in reasonable steps, guided by the science in the public health. So number one, it needs to be dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances in the particular region [...] We have strong leadership at the state level here in Texas, we can look at the facts and circumstances and say, 'Okay, we're going to protect vulnerable populations.' If there's jobs where there's some risks. It may be that when people go back to work that they wear a mask and gloves for some period of time to limit the spread of disease.

He added, noting the very real public health concerns that stem from economic uncertainty:

"Keeping the economy shut down for weeks - if we allow that to turn into months, we're going to see human lives lost. We're going to see real devastation, from poverty from dreams shattered. From family businesses put out of business. From people whose savings are lost. And that's going to lead to mental health issues that's going to lead to depression, it's going to lead to substance abuse, it's going to lead to increased suicide. All of those are very real public health threats as well. And so our objective needs to be to protect the most lives possible. That means targeting on those sick and those particularly vulnerable to be sick. But it also means helping people be in a position where they can provide for their family and have the security - the economic security - that comes from that."

As the nation works to combat the coronavirus pandemic and ultimately defeat it, Sen. Cruz with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) this week launched the #CombatCOVID19Challenge, a social media challenge to encourage Americans to continue supporting their communities during this challenging time.

"Hopefully we'll get lots and lots of people, helping their neighbors helping the elderly helping those in need during this crisis. And that's how we're going to make it through this crisis by standing together, by helping each other, [and] by relying on our fellow citizens."

WATCH: Senator Ted Cruz on KCBD: ‘It is time for Texans to get back to work'

For more information about Sen. Cruz's statewide tele-tour, click here.

For more information about Sen. Cruz's bipartisan #CombatCOVID19Challenge, click here.

For COVID-19 information and additional resources, visit www.cruz.senate.gov/coronavirus/.

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