ATLANTA — Georgia's two Republican senators have been tapped by President Trump for a task force to provide counsel on the reopening of the economy.
Sen. David Perdue and Sen. Kelly Loeffler will both serve on the task force, they said in separate announcements.
Perdue, who was once the CEO of Dollar General, said he was "humbled to be named to the task force" and looking forward to "helping get us all back to work."
Loeffler, an owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream and CEO of the digital asset management company Bakkt, said she was looking forward "to using my experience as a business leader and CEO to help President Trump and his team enact policies that ensure a safe, healthy, and prosperous future for our state and country.”
In recent days the president has emphasized his wish to see the American economy reopen sooner rather than later. Trump said on Twitter on Thursday that he would be outlining guidelines for reopening the country.
In a statement, Perdue echoed the president's wish to begin restarting economic activity.
"Many Americans are not only worried about their health, but also whether they can keep their jobs, run their businesses, and provide for their families. Even while we are still fighting this virus, we need to begin thinking about how to reopen our economy," the Republican said. "Going forward, our objective should be to find a balance between keeping people healthy while protecting jobs and the economy long-term."
Loeffler added that with 22 million people filing new unemployment claims in the last month, "it’s clear that our nation needs decisive action to deliver relief to those impacted most and get the American people - and our businesses - back to work."
The two Georgia senators are among 20 GOP senators the president invited to serve on the task force, according to Politico.
The pair faced scrutiny last month over stock trades made following January Senate briefings on the coronavirus outbreak.
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