McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski insists lawmakers need to pass another COVID-19 stimulus package.
During his appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” Kempczinski congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for their victory.
He expressed he is optimistic the nation can tackle some of the larger issues it is facing now.
“Our hope and expectation is that as we’ve now moved from the election, that we can turn our sights toward working together and solving some big issues that we still as a country face,” Kempczinski said.
He added, “Certainly coronavirus is one of those issues. We need a stimulus measure, I think that is very clear.”
Check out his remarks below:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters on Friday he believes because the economy is headed toward recovery, Congress should pass a smaller stimulus bill, as IJR previously reported.
“I think it reinforces the argument that I’ve been making for the last few months, that something smaller — rather than throwing another $3 trillion at this issue –—is more appropriate,” McConnell said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) opposed McConnell’s suggestion for a smaller relief package.
“It doesn’t appeal to me at all, because they still have not agreed to crush the virus. If you don’t crush the virus, we’re still going to have to be dealing with the consequences of the virus,” Pelosi said.
She continued, “That isn’t anything that we should even be looking at. It wasn’t the right thing before.”
Kempczinski was asked if the business community will be “playing defense” on corporate tax, minimum wage, or workplace regulations, things done away with under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“I certainly think there were things that the Trump administration proposed and supported that we found very helpful and that aligned with our beliefs,” Kempczinski said.
He stressed, “We are not against a conversation on the minimum wage.”
“Let’s just make sure that as changes are introduced, we do it in a logical way that balances the needs of, certainly people but also balances the needs of business owners,” Kempczinski said.