WASHINGTON (KELO.com) — Sen. John Thune says he sees signs that the state and national economies are stirring after a couple of difficult months from the coronavirus.
“I’ve seen it in the last few weeks, across South Dakota,” Thune told Fox News’ “Your World with Neil Cavuto” today. “I see it traveling back and forth to Washington, DC, the number of people in the planes is picking up, and I think the economy wants to bust loose. But it’s going to be gradual. It’s not going to be overnight. We’re not going to flip a switch.”
Like Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken said earlier this week, Thune says how and if the economy returns to normal is in citizens’ hands.
“Ultimately, it’s going to be the consumer that decides when it’s safe to go outside and what is an acceptable level of risk for them?” Thune said.
Thune is taking a wait and see approach about another coronavirus stimulus bill.
“I think it needs to be predicated upon whether there’s a need out there,” Thune said. “I think we’ll know a lot more about the need when we see how the dollars that we’ve already put out there have been used and how effective they’ve been.”
In the meantime, he thinks at least one coronavirus stimulus benefit might be too generous.
“Unemployment insurance, for example, is creating a disincentive for people to go back to work because sometimes they make more on unemployment. Thune said. “Those are things we’re going to have to tweak.”
Cavuto also kidded Thune about his now removed coronavirus beard.
“You get the beard gone? Cavuto asked
“The beard is gone, how about that? Yeah, we’re back to work,” Thune quipped.
