Washington – The economic recovery of the United States after the pandemic of the coronavirus will be a matter of months and not years, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who agreed with congressional leaders on the possibility of reaching an agreement soon on a second small business relief package, anticipated this Sunday.
“I think it will be months, I definitely do not think it will be years”, the official declared in an interview with the program “State of the Union” from the American channel CNN, when asked about how long it could be before the United States recovers the “strong position” of its economy, which in a month of confinement by COVID-19 already has 22 million applications for unemployment benefits .
The situation of thousands of households in the country, many of which have begun receiving aid checks to contain the economic impact of the pandemic, has encouraged conservative groups to call protests to demand that state governors relax their measures. confinement and allow a return to activity in certain sectors.
Mnuchin was confident that the United States will overcome the virus, that in the country it has caused more than 700,000 infections and at least 39,000 deaths, which currently places it as the most affected in the world by the disease.
On #CNNSOTU w / @jaketapperTreasury Secretary @ stevenmnuchin1 says the economy will recover in months, not years https://t.co/WPKTDzFpgn
– State of the Union (@CNNSotu) April 19, 2020
“We are going to have great advances, I know that not only in tests but in the medical front,” he said.
The Treasury secretary considered that the Administration of President Donald Trump may be close to reaching an agreement with Congress on a new economic relief package.
“I am hopeful that we can do it.”, said the official, who said he hoped that the Senate could approve the initiative tomorrow and that the House of Representatives, with a Democratic majority, could do the same on Tuesday.
Asked about it in the same program, Chuck Schumer, leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate, declared himself very hopeful that they can reach an agreement “tonight or early tomorrow.”
On April 8, the US Congress began to analyze an additional aid package to contain the economic impact of the coronavirus, with more funds for small and medium-sized companies, as well as for state and local governments, and whose total amount could amount to $ 500,000 million.
On March 27, the US House of Representatives had approved a majority of a fiscal stimulus package of more than $ 2 trillion, which represents about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product and had already been endorsed by the Senate, to try to alleviate the economic consequences of the disease.
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