White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow insists another coronavirus relief package may not be necessary despite the ongoing pandemic.
On Thursday evening, Kudlow participated in a virtual event that took place before the final night of the Republican National Convention kicked off.
At the time, he was asked about the possibility of an additional coronavirus stimulus package. According to Kudlow, business recovery may alleviate the need for a fiscal stimulus, reports Newsweek.
“I think we are [able to continue recovering without financial stimulus],” Kudlow said. “If the virus continues to flatten after this tough summer of spiking, I think you’ll see more businesses reopen, even those that might have paused will come back online [and] more people are going to come back to work.”
Kudlow also confirmed that the Trump administration may still be willing to negotiate with Democratic lawmakers to reach a deal. However, he also insisted that it would be contingent on there being “a limit” and “modest” price tags on future spending.
“There has to be a limit,” Kudlow said.
He later added, “Much of the price tag on the other side of the aisle was not related to COVID. At least a third, if not more — so that’s not what we call smart spending.”
Kudlow also criticized Democratic lawmakers for what he described as a “laundry list” of additional expenditures, namely the $25 billion requested for the United States Postal Service.
“But that’s not the only thing, and I’m not gonna go through a laundry list,” Kudlow said. “Their ask, at least a trillion [dollars], was not directly related to either the economy or the health situation with respect to COVID.”
Kudlow’s latest remarks come weeks after coronavirus stimulus discussions stalled due to Republican and Democratic lawmakers being unable to reach an agreement.
While Democrats’ proposed HEROES Act amounts to $3 trillion in stimulus relief, Republicans’ HEALS Act only focuses on a $1 trillion-dollar plan. As lawmakers’ continue to face roadblocks in negotiations, the coronavirus continues to spread, nationwide.
As of Friday afternoon, there are 6,055,675 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. The death toll has now surpassed 185,000.