Stacey Abrams: Brian Kemp’s Decision to Open Georgia’s Economy Has “No Logic”

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Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate who lost to Governor Brian Kemp (R) following a contentious election riddled with accusations of voter fraud, says there is “no logic” to her former opponent’s decision to open the economy.

“There is no logic and that’s part of the problem,” Abrams told View co-host Ana Navarro. “We only shut down Georgia two weeks ago. So let’s remember, we were one of the last states to respond to the call for the shutdown because the governor did not recognize that asymptomatic people could spread the disease.”

“We are seeing our rates over the last two weeks, not decline, and we know that you cannot perform a tattoo from six feet away. You can’t do someone’s nails from six feet away, but I want you to remember who you saw the last time you walked into a nail salon — who you saw working on the front lines at a restaurant,” she added. “Those are the people who need to be home protecting themselves and their families, making sure that they are safe because they are often the only breadwinners, and instead of protecting their lives, we are prioritizing the potential of the economy.”

Abrams added that the Senate’s support for an enlargement of the Paycheck Protection Act is the right choice as many grapple with financial uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“That’s the solution to the economic challenges we face, not putting people’s lives on the line so you can say you did something,” she said.

During a separate appearance on CNN political commentator David Axelrod’s podcast “The Axe Files,” Abrams said Kemp’s decision to reopen the economy would disproportionately harm low-wage workers.

“The more insidious part of what he’s doing is that he claims this is to support small business owners,” Abrams said. “And that may be true, but the front-line workers tend to be low-wage workers who, right now, because they are furloughed or cannot go to work, can collect unemployment and protect themselves.”

“Instead of fixing an unemployment system that is not processing people fast enough, his response is to send those people back to the front lines without the protective equipment that they need,” she continued. “Without any assurances that the owners that they will work or will actually do what they’re supposed to.”