WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans alike somberly approached the podium in the U.S. House chamber on Thursday to declare their support for hundreds of billions of dollars in additional federal COVID-19 pandemic aid.
But not Andy Biggs.
In a fiery speech, the Republican congressman from Gilbert questioned “how much longer the American people will acquiesce to unconstitutional and crushing government action.” And he declared: “We need to open up America now.”
Even as most Republicans — including fiscal hawks loath to increase the deficit — have backed nearly $3 trillion in coronavirus aid spending, Biggs is helping to lead the congressional resistance.
He is one of a few lawmakers who has publicly opposed all four coronavirus relief packages passed over the last two months.
In speeches and op-eds over the past month, Biggs has ripped into the federal and state government’s response to COVID-19 — including stay-at-home orders that are backed by President Donald Trump, like the one issued by Gov. Doug Ducey. On the House floor Thursday, Biggs called on U.S. governors “to free their citizens immediately.”
Public opinion polls have shown that most Americans believe the restrictions are important: An April 16 Pew Research Center survey found that 66% of Americans say they are more concerned that these restrictions will be lifted too quickly, while only 32% say they are more concerned they won’t be lifted quickly enough.
The plea goes against Trump’s comments Thursday that he may extend national social distancing guidelines through the summer or beyond.
But Trump doesn’t seem to mind: He named Biggs last week to a congressional task force charged with advising the administration on how and when to reopen the economy.
Biggs said Thursday that “the cure is proving worse than the disease” — a message he will likely continue to make on the task force and in newspaper op-ed pages, on conservative news programs and on social media as the pandemic wears on.