CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming Republican U.S. Senator John Barrasso posted a video on Facebook of himself speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate to say there will be no further shutdowns of the economy despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases across parts of the country.
He remarked that there is a way to manage the risks of the coronavirus while still moving the economy forward.
“The recent rise of COVID-19 cases, to me as a doctor, is troubling,” Barrasso said. “Still it is no reason to stop reopening, as long as we open in a responsible way.”
The Wyoming Senator went on to say that everybody made sacrifices and did what the “experts said we needed to do” amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, but now Americans were ready to get back to work.
Barrasso said that the pre-pandemic economy was very strong and featured the lowest unemployment numbers in fifty-years, but it had to be shut down to slow the spread of COVID.
“It saved lives and bought us time,” he said.
Barrasso added that reopening the economy was not conditioned on the creation of vaccine or the elimination of COVID. He offered that businesses across the country were continuing to reopen in what he described as a “safe, scientific and sensible way.”
“I saw it all across Wyoming during the last two weeks as I traveled the state. In Casper and Cheyenne, main streets are busy again. Mom and Pop businesses are bringing back workers.” Barrasso said.
The Senator also cited the tourists flocking to Yellowstone and the rodeos taking place across Wyoming as signs of America starting to move forward amid the pandemic.
“Wyoming is literally back in the saddle again,” Barrasso offered.
Barrasso said that people want to get back to work and didn’t want laws coming out of congress that make it easier for businesses to remain closed than to reopen.
“I know that we can flatten the curve without flattening our economy.”
According to Barrasso, people can resume normal lives and stay healthy if everyone takes the proper precautions like social distancing, maintaining good hygiene and wearing masks.
“As a doctor I know that wearing a mask helps lowing the infection spread. Especially indoors when we can’t socially distance.”
The full video of Senator Barrasso speaking before the U.S. Senate can be seen below:
