April 21, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging states to reopen their economies as soon as possible:

“In nine days, many governors across the nation are making plans on how to reopen all or part of their economies. Predictably, some worry that moving away from strict social distancing policies will have negative health consequences. What these people miss is that these distancing policies bring forth known problems associated with extreme poverty, including increased suicides, depression and substance abuse. On the substance abuse front alone, we know that 70,000 a year were losing their lives to opioid overdoses alone, and that that number has been significantly cut over the past couple of years.

“We also know that there were 40,000 more suicides than expected during the Great Recession, and that the UN just released a report stating that hundreds of thousands of children will die due to the increased poverty created in the economic shutdown. Let’s be clear, this is not an easy situation, but when 5.5 million Americans are filing for unemployment claims on average the past four weeks, with no end in sight, the personal and national devastation wrought by the social distancing cure is not sustainable and the President and our nation’s governors must act to balance. The President took a great step forward in providing guidance on reopening America state by state, and it is expected he will continue to provide the best ideas available on ways private businesses can meet the needs of their employees and customers in these unique times.

“One relatively undiscussed result of the private sector shutdown is that local, state and federal governments will all see dramatic revenue losses from staying shut down too long at a time when their expenditures are increased. Recognizing this early, if states and local governments are unwilling to lay off non-essential government employees before the situation becomes critical, then aggressively reopening is the only alternative.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

April 20, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to the crash of global oil markets:

“While Speaker Pelosi enjoys her $13/pint ice cream, the world’s oil markets have completely crashed due to the destruction of the global economy of the China-originated virus. While it is debatable whether Pelosi is playing the role of Marie Antoinette or Nero, who fiddled while Rome burnt, it is inexcusable of her to engage in her dereliction of duty by not having the House of Representatives immediately convene to provide necessary relief for small businesses to allow them to survive this public health devastation.

“The current oil price drop puts hundreds of thousands of American energy jobs at risk. While this might seem to be a Green New Deal dream, it actually is an economic catastrophe, which can only be alleviated when governors restart their respective economies. When commuters hit the roads again, they can expect gas prices at levels not seen since before the OPEC oil embargo of 1973. Counterintuitively, this is also bad for our nation’s airlines who purchase fuel months in advance and were obligated to pay dramatically more per barrel months ago. Airlines consume a significant amount of America’s oil usage, and America restoring previously robust travel schedules will soak up some of the oversupply, but the main answer to restoring energy markets will be when Americans hit the road and get back to work, enjoying dramatically lower commuter costs.

“At the very least, Speaker Pelosi’s private jet commuting from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. can show the way for America getting back to work, even though the work she typically does is counterproductive. Maybe this time she can actually help out by passing a clean funding bill to save what remains of our nation’s small business economic backbone.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

April 20, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the expansion of unemployment benefits by Congress:

“The federal government will provide states billions of tax dollars to cover the dramatic increase in unemployment insurance costs.  With an unprecedented 22 million people added to the unemployment rolls in the past four weeks, states are currently overrun, but it is important that future federal unemployment spending be linked to those unemployment offices’ success in getting people back to work.  Too often, state unemployment offices serve merely as intermediary check dispensers to those who are unemployed, but in this new environment, with their knowledge of what jobs employees were laid off from, it is important that those states aggressively encourage workers to return to their jobs when they become available.

“The United States Labor Department has some very smart people in charge of the national unemployment system, and they know that in this crisis, it is critical to get people to return to work as soon as the economy re-opens.  And they understand better than anyone that the federal government needs to incentivize state unemployment offices to encourage people to leave the system and return to work.  Rather than rewarding those states with policies which encourage dependency and discourage re-employment with additional funding, federal dollars should be focused upon assisting those programs and states which are most effectively lowering the unemployment rate. This is not accomplished by throwing people off the rolls, but instead by putting those agencies energies into restoring the now unemployed into the workforce. Our state workforce agencies know what jobs 22 million newly unemployed Americans lost, and truly serving their constituents means highlighting similar opportunities in their geographic area which open up as the economy restarts.

“America needs to get back to work, and by incentivizing state workforce agencies to succeed in getting people back to work, the U.S. Labor Department will be meeting it’s highest function.  And if necessary, any new funding appropriated by Congress should incorporate incentive programs for states based upon their re-employment record.  By doing this, America can rapidly rebound from this government induced depression-level unemployment crisis.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

 

 

April 16, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement reacting to the latest initial unemployment claims:

“In the past four weeks, 22 million Americans have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment insurance through their state governments.  When added to the 5.8 million unemployed prior to the health emergency decision to shutter our nation’s economy, it is reasonable to assume that at least 25 million Americans are unemployed, with millions more suffering from pay cuts and missing paychecks due to the self-inflicted business conditions.

“To put 25 million unemployed into perspective, in March 2020, there were 163 million people in the workforce, making the current unemployment rate 15%.  In February of 2020, the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent with 159 million Americans employed, the highest number in history.  Now it is reasonable to assume that number may be as low as 130 million, the lowest total since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008.  Twelve years of job gains have likely been thrown away in the well intentioned and successful effort to flatten the virus’ curve.

“However, those who claim that the on-going destruction of the economy and the businesses of those who provide and create jobs in America should continue unabated are dead wrong.  Those states which determine that they are going to move away from the draconian shutdown responses will lead the way in our economic restoration and those which continue to be driven by fear will one-day come out of their basements and discover that Main Street is a ghost town and the jobs they hoped to return to are gone for a decade.

“While this sounds melodramatic, it is not.  Small businesses across America report that they are at the breaking point, with many in areas virtually untouched by the COVID-19 virus. Saving small business is saving the free enterprise system, and saving the free enterprise system is saving our nation from the tyranny of socialism.

“Thank goodness for President Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and reportedly Governors in 20 other states who are working toward re-opening their economies this week.  It is time for a much more targeted, intelligent response to the China-originated COVID-19 virus, one which minimizes the loss of life and accelerates economic restoration.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

April 10, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for once again trying to hold needed small business monies hostage in the middle of the coronavirus public health emergency and economic crisis:

“Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are at it again. Facing more as many as 20 million Americans unemployed due to the health emergency, Pelosi and Schumer are demonstrating that they care more about getting goodies for their supporters than saving the jobs of those who are being thrown out of work through no fault of their own. The dynamic duo of doom doesn’t care about restarting America and restoring our national economy, and it has never been more clear through their efforts to stop additional monies from being lent to keep small businesses alive, and their employees on the payroll. You can count Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to stand up for every left-wing constituency while blocking efforts to keep Main Street from becoming a ghost town.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

April 8, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement reacting to the IHME’s death toll projections being lowered to 60,415 from 81,766:

“Projections on the number of cases of COVID-19 are far less important than the actual deaths from the China-originated virus.  Now, the most influential projection of future deaths from the disease has lowered that guess again. Just one week ago on April 1, the death projection was 93,651, it was lowered on April 4 to 81,766 and just one week into April the projection is now at 60,415.

“While the public health care bureaucrats will attribute the precipitous drop in the all-important death projections to social distancing, the model assumed that social distancing would be implemented in its projections.

“What has significantly changed in the past week was President Trump’s successfully convincing the Food and Drug Administration to allow the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine  and other antivirals to be prescribed to treat the disease on March 31.  While correlation does not necessarily mean causation, it is significant that doctors across the nation have been given the go-ahead to use this treatment and many are reporting success that should not be discounted.  Those governors who are restricting the use of this medicine need to reevaluate that political decision in order to help save as many of the lives of their constituents as possible.

“President Trump has put the health of Americans first and has risked his economic legacy to protect American lives. Now, as the death projections continue to collapse, Americans for Limited Government urge the country to come behind President Trump as he looks toward restarting the economy. The great news that we are winning the war against the COVID-19 virus will hopefully lead to our economy re-opening around the country not suffering as a hot spot by May 1.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

 

 

April 3, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement responding to latest jobs numbers:

“Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment rate dramatically understates the actual state of the workforce.  These reports are based upon mid-month surveys conducted on behalf of BLS, which do not reflect the full results of the last two new unemployment claims filed with state governments.  The 1.35 million person increase in the number of unemployed is at least 8.5 million short of the actual number of people thrown out of work by the government’s response to the COVID-19 as demonstrated by the weekly unemployment claims reports released yesterday.  This means that the actual COVID caused unemployment rate is likely between 9 and 10 percent and rising every day.

“A month ago, our nation enjoyed the fewest number of unemployed since the year 2000, in one short month due to the shutdown of the economy, we very likely have the most people unemployed than at any time in history.

“Earlier this month, the President rightly worried that the cure for COVID-19 could become worse than the disease.  The dramatic surge in unemployment is just the beginning of the cost of a cure that will only get worse as President Trump rightfully seeks to balance the public health concerns with the destructive impact of the hopelessness cause by joblessness.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###

 

April 2, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to open up Congressional investigation into U.S. efforts to combat the Chinese coronavirus:

“Nancy Pelosi’s decision to investigate the coronavirus response in the midst of the battle to save American lives is absurd and blatantly un-American.  It is okay to question actions, but to open an official investigation that will drain resources from those who are working 24/7 trying to save American lives, and re-open our country as soon as possible is perhaps the most blatantly dangerous action I have ever witnessed by any elected official.

“It was bad enough when Pelosi attempted and succeeded to extort millions if not billions of dollars for unrelated left-wing causes like the Kennedy Center, public broadcasting and refugee resettlement, as well as pay raises for Congress while another 6.6 million Americans lost their jobs waiting for relief, but to open an investigation when the administration is running at full tilt trying to meet the emergency head on is going to cost American lives.  There is plenty of time later for second guessing by the perpetual impeachment machine in Pelosi’s House, one would have hoped that at least for now, the wayward Speaker would have had the decency to help pull the oars rather than create a political dance designed to distract those doing the hard work.”

Attachments:

Cartoon: Twisted, By A.F. Branco, March 23, 2020 at http://dailytorch.com/2020/03/cartoon-twisted/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

###