Washington – Business Roundtable issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s “Opening Up America Again” guidelines, a proposal for re-opening the U.S. economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak:
“Business leaders welcome the Trump Administration’s release of federal guidelines for re-opening the economy and their commitment to put Americans’ health and safety first,” said Joshua Bolten, Business Roundtable President & CEO. “To ensure the strongest and safest recovery possible, we encourage state and local officials to coordinate their efforts. We look forward to working with elected officials at every level of government on key issues such as public and workplace safety, testing and virus monitoring and critical supplies needs.”
On Tuesday, Business Roundtable sent a letter to Vice President Pence outlining principles for a safe re-opening of the U.S. economy. The Roundtable also shared this letter with members of Congress, governors and mayors across the country. Business Roundtable endorses the following overriding principles:
- Safety First
- Protecting the lives of Americans must remain the country’s paramount interest. Americans need to know that policymakers and employers are prioritizing their safety.
- A successful recovery strategy must give Americans confidence that they can safely return to work and public spaces. This means reopening at the right time, as guided by public health officials.
- It also means that as community-based movement restrictions are gradually lifted, those restrictions will need to be replaced by other kinds of protections that keep Americans safe, including, among other things, personal protective equipment, cleaning procedures, testing and other diagnostic tools, and virus monitoring.
- Coordination
- While Business Roundtable values the critical role states play in protecting public health and safety, federal guidelines on a range of issues will help build confidence for workers and consumers by fostering a common understanding of the measures being taken across the country.
- Federal guidelines will also help businesses of all sizes plan, prepare for and execute the most effective recovery possible. Even on issues not covered by federal guidelines, states should endeavor to be as coordinated as possible, particularly states within the same region.
For the full Business Roundtable letter and supporting materials, click here.