Coronavirus phase 4 stimulus bill can wait: Cruz, other Republicans
Cruz also criticized China for its role in the virus' spread
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sounded cool on the idea of Congress writing a "Phase Four" relief package as many Americans wonder when they'll be able to get back to work because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It needs to be driven by the facts and circumstances we're facing," Cruz told "Mornings with Maria" on Wednesday. "We just passed a $2 trillion emergency relief bill that is unprecedented in its size and scope and design."
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"We need to see what happens in terms of fighting the coronavirus in the next several weeks," Cruz continued. "We need to allow the month of April to play out, and in this month of April, we need to be focusing our resources and energy on defeating the virus."
Cruz's fellow Republicans including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Sen. James Lankford have said they're not ready to start on a fourth stimulus package.
Cruz speaks on the Senate floor March 25. (Senate Television via AP)
"I'm not sure we need the fourth package," McCarthy said on "Sunday Morning Futures."
"I don't think we need to jump into another stimulus package right now," Lankford told FOX Business' Stuart Varney on Tuesday.
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Cruz also criticized China for its role in the virus' spread, accusing the Chinese government of a cover-up.
"The decisions of the Chinese government played a critical part in causing the pandemic to be as bad as it is," Cruz said. "Because they suppressed information, they held out international health experts, they covered it up, they punished the whistle-blowers. They did everything they could to hide the public health crisis spreading right in front of them."
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Cruz self-isolated for 14 days in March after learning he had shaken hands with someone at the Conservative Political Action Conference who tested positive for coronavirus.