Sen. Kennedy: Economy being held together by spit and Duct tape
Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy speaks on out safely reopening the economy amid COVID-19: 'Both lives and livelihoods are important.'
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Sen. John Kennedy believes that since the coronavirus pandemic became a serious issue in the United States, the states and governors have “essentially been running the economy.”
“What could possibly go wrong? It’s been a 'Nightmare on Elm Street',” the Republican Louisiana senator told “Hannity" Thursday night.
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Kennedy said that though the shutdown is understandable, it is not sustainable because the economy is going to “collapse" unless businesses can reopen and people can go back to work.
“At least, the people in my state [Louisiana], the people are going to stop complying,” Kennedy said. “My governor has said that he’s not going to make a decision until May 15th. I respect that, but he hasn’t been able to convince the people of Louisiana.”
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The backlash to governors' broad lockdown orders have been growing across the United States, including in Michigan, where dozens of protesters, some of whom were armed, gathered Thursday inside the state Capitol building to voice their opposition to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order, with tensions high as lawmakers were poised to debate an extension of an emergency and disaster declaration.
Whitmer claimed she had the emergency authority regardless of what state lawmakers did.
Thursday's rally came as some people living in Michigan have continued to demand Whitmer roll back her stay-at-home order in an effort to reopen the state's economy and allow residents to resume daily activities. Last week, she extended the mandate through May 15 but loosened some restrictions beginning Friday.
Kennedy said that many of his constituents in Louisiana are “opening up” their businesses because they can't afford to stay closed indefinitely.
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“Many Louisianians and many Americans can’t earn a living behind a laptop," he said. "Many of us don’t live in the Hamptons and eat quinoa summer salads."
Fox News' Teny Sahakian contributed to this report.
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