GOP Senator Says Economy Will Collapse If We Wait Too Long To Reopen

There's been 'a lot of damage done both in terms of public health and in terms of our economic health,' said Sen. John Kennedy

Then Republican candidate for Senator from Louisiana John Kennedy speaks in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Dec. 9, 2016. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As the COVID-19 outbreak deals a shock to businesses and workers across the world with unprecedented speed, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said America’s economy will collapse if it remains closed until the number of cases is brought down to zero.

In remarks on Fox’s “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Friday, the Lousiana lawmaker pushed back against critics who claim that expressing concerns about the damage of keeping the economy shut down too long is the same as “putting dollars over human life.”