Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Congressman Kevin Brady joined KTRH news to discuss the next round of stimulus legislation, how the Paycheck Protection Program is supporting Texas workers, and how Texas is correctly addressing a spike in cases.
Click here or above to listen to the full interview.
On the next stimulus package:
“This time I don’t see trillions of dollars in new spending here. It’s about what we do to keep the pressure on the virus, to keep accelerating those vaccines, and to help people return to their lives. How do we have a healthy economy? From that standpoint, you don’t have to spend for spending’s sake. In this case, you can do smart pro-growth targeted policies, and that’s what we are looking for.
“[In the past] the feds added $1,600 dollars a week [in unemployment], and as a result, many Americans get paid more not to work than to be on the job. As a result, our businesses are struggling. If we don’t fix that in this new stimulus, we will lose an awful lot of small businesses across the country.”
On supporting small businesses and getting Americans back to work:
“[In the past] the feds added $1,600 dollars a week [in unemployment], and as a result, many Americans get paid more not to work than to be on the job. As a result, our businesses are struggling. If we don’t fix that in this new stimulus, we will lose an awful lot of small businesses across the country.”
“The Paycheck Protection Program turned out to be an incredible lifeline for a lot of small businesses and workers. In Texas, it saved four and a half million jobs. There’s no question we’ll need to do more for a lot of our small businesses. Some didn’t qualify; others have used all their funding; they want to keep their workers on the job.
“So, we are looking at either another round of help for small businesses or low-interest lending. Whatever they need to make sure they can ride this out. One of the big challenges is that small businesses can't get their workers to come back even with safe, healthy environments because of federal unemployment.
“We’ve got to make sure they aren’t permanently unemployed, and if we don’t reconnect them to their business and their jobs, I worry there won’t be a business or a job when those checks run out.”
On Texas re-opening:
“So, we are looking at either another round of help for small businesses or low-interest lending. Whatever they need to make sure they can ride this out. One of the big challenges is that small businesses can't get their workers to come back even with safe, healthy environments because of federal unemployment.
“We’ve got to make sure they aren’t permanently unemployed, and if we don’t reconnect them to their business and their jobs, I worry there won’t be a business or a job when those checks run out.”
“I believe that Texas did not reopen too soon. In fact, in phases one and two, our infection rate went down, and our hospitalization rates went down. Forcing home confinement as some local leaders want is not the answer… unless we can have people to return to their lives and businesses safely, will have some of those challenges.
“This flare-up we have in Texas and Houston is serious. We learned a lot about how we can treat people in health care. There’s a lot of treatments and vaccines, it's stunning, I mean we are manufacturing those vaccines right now – the ones you’re reading about – even though their trials are not over we are already manufacturing them. We’ve learned a lot about cutting red tape.”
“This flare-up we have in Texas and Houston is serious. We learned a lot about how we can treat people in health care. There’s a lot of treatments and vaccines, it's stunning, I mean we are manufacturing those vaccines right now – the ones you’re reading about – even though their trials are not over we are already manufacturing them. We’ve learned a lot about cutting red tape.”
