Rep. Matt Gaetz indicated he agreed with Sen. Tom Cotton that any economic relief from the federal government for people affected by the coronavirus should go directly to workers rather than employers.
“It’s my hope that we do not reward companies that are owned, in part, by China or Chinese companies,” Gaetz told Sean Hannity on Tuesday. “Some of these hospitality and casino and other companies have Chinese ownership, and U.S. taxpayers shouldn’t go to bail out China.”
Gaetz did not mention any companies by name.
On Monday, Cotton, a frequent critic of China, said any economic relief money that came from the federal government should “cut out the middle man.”
“We should send relief directly to American families most likely to be in need, those in the bottom and middle tax brackets, to pay for rent, groceries, child care, and other necessary expenses, as well as to spend at local businesses that are hurting during this crisis,” Cotton said.
The House passed an economic relief bill over the weekend — legislation that was passed by the Senate on Wednesday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday that President Trump’s administration was looking to put $1 trillion back into the economy in the coming weeks. This could include checks sent directly to workers, he said.
Gaetz was one of the first in a slew of lawmakers to go into self-quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
More than 9,400 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the United States, including more than 150 deaths.
