U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) joined Claire Simms on FOX 5 Atlanta to discuss the recent May jobs report, the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Georgia’s phased reopening.

Highlights:

May Jobs Report: “The jobs report on Friday was a shock to all of us, including me. The forecast was that we were going to lose 8 million jobs, instead we created 2.5 million jobs in May. It shows the resilience of this economy. It also shows that what we’ve done so far, in trying to bridge this gap with the CARES Act, is beginning to work.”

Road To Recovery: “It’s too early to claim victory, because we’ve still got a long way to go to fully reopen the economy. We’ve only put about half of the money out so far of the $2.9 trillion that we appropriated. I, for one, would love to see how the Main Street Program is going to be received before moving forward with additional aid.”

PPP Success: “We know that the PPP was a huge success so far because half a trillion dollars – over $510 billion – has already been put out. The average loan is $113,000. These are small businesses getting these loans, and some of those are beginning to reopen.”

Leading The Charge: “Georgia is leading the charge in reopening, and I think if we are all careful and follow the protocols laid out by the Governor and the President in his three-phased approach, we can reopen our economy safely.”