Sen. Toomey named to task force charged with reopening economy

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) recently was named to a bipartisan task force that will be in charge of developing a plan to reopen the parts of the economy that have been shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House sent notifications to the lawmakers invited to join the task force last week, and the lawmakers spoke with President Donald Trump via phone Thursday.

Trump and some Republicans want the economy to open quickly, while Democrats prefer a gradual approach coupled with dramatically expanded testing.

“I have spoken with local officials – Republicans and Democrats – from across Pennsylvania, and one thing is clear: there are regions and sectors of our economy that can begin to reopen safely right now and not jeopardize hospital capacity,” Toomey said. “There are businesses, located in areas with very few COVID-19 cases, that both rely on a low-risk workforce and can comply with CDC social distancing guidelines. I look forward to working with my colleagues on plans to gradually and safely enable these businesses to reopen their doors.”

Toomey is the only Pennsylvania lawmaker invited to the task force. Members from neighboring states include Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY).