When the COVID-19 pandemic officially began in March, lockdowns bought lawmakers and industry leaders time to respond proactively to a public health crisis. But now, after schools and job creators spent months stocking up on PPE and adjusting their operations to reopen safely, it appears that the first round of shutdowns was not enough for anti-business politicians.
At a time when we should be encouraging the safe reopening of our economy, Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has reached a new low by once again shutting down schools and indoor dining. This comes despite little evidence of restaurants serving as superspreaders. There has been no consultation with relevant stakeholders, and the governor will not show the public the data driving these harmful closures.
In fact, science shows that schools have lower transmission rates than average rates of community spread.
Kentucky now finds itself among just a handful of liberal states, such as California, Oregon, and Washington, that have once again undercut their citizens by shuttering businesses.
To make matters worse, Kentucky’s state government has failed to distribute timely unemployment insurance payments to the laid-off masses. Casting aside the livelihoods of working families and job creators with the stroke of a pen is bad enough. But Kentucky’s failure to have the infrastructure in place to process unemployment claims prior to instituting a new round of lockdowns is peak incompetence.
According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, as of Nov. 1, my home state had the second-highest backlog of unemployment insurance payments in the country. At a time of tremendous government-induced pain, just 27% of payments were being distributed within three weeks of claims being made. This sharply contrasts with our surrounding states, with Tennessee sending more than 60% of payments out the door within three weeks.
Unfortunately, government competency isn’t the only metric where Tennessee, which my congressional district and home county border, is outpacing Kentucky. Tennessee’s economy is also recovering at a much faster pace than ours, a fact plainly obvious when I see friends and neighbors travel across the state line just to enjoy a meal and support another state’s economy.
Our economy doesn’t need more closures and lockdowns that only cause further economic pain and suffering. Instead, states must continue to reopen safely, and Congress should pass a responsible, targeted stimulus package. Such a package should support small businesses and struggling sectors such as the restaurant industry, which has drawn the unique ire of Beshear and other blue-state governors.
If Kentucky and other states are going to recover economically, it is critical that Democrat-run states cease inconsistent and harmful shutdowns and support an economic recovery.
James Comer, a Republican, represents Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District and serves as the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
