US Senate candidate Jaime Harrison calls for mask mandate in South Carolina
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison, who is hoping to upset incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham in November, called for a statewide mask mandate in public spaces as South Carolina continues to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Wearing a mask is a sign of how much you care about your neighbors,” Harrison said Thursday, speaking to supporters and reporters through video chat.
Wearing a mask would help schools and businesses reopen while a vaccine is developed, Harrison said.
“I think at the end of the day, we have to stand up and I think our government has to stand up and say it’s very, very important,” Harrison said, while speaking to reporters after discussing his proposal. “It’s important we stop the increases in the coronavirus here in South Carolina. The only way we could do that is if we take the responsibility and understand and we all have to wear a mask in public spaces.”
Harrison made the remarks online from his house as about 7,000 viewers watched, one way he’s been reaching voters as his campaign to win the Senate seat in a reliably Republican state has shifted almost entirely to virtual.
Both Graham and Gov. Henry McMaster have encouraged everyone to wear masks, but they have stopped short of supporting a statewide mandate while questioning how one could be enforced.
Harrison also said schools should only reopen by following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also said federal money is needed to help keep students safe when they return to classes whether it be virtually or in person.
“Social distancing, smaller classrooms, masks, online learning — all of these are good ideas,” Harrison said.
Harrison also said he wants Congress to extend the federal unemployment benefits which provide an additional $600 a week to laid off workers. That benefit expires at the end of the month.
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the GOP plan to extend federal unemployment benefits would include 70% wage replacement.
Graham has said he doesn’t want the $600 a week benefit as it exists to continue, saying people could make more money on unemployment that they do while working. Graham has said unemployment benefits should be limited to 100% of what a person makes while working.
But Harrison said people need the support because they don’t get their full pay on unemployment.
“You get a percentage of your paycheck,” Harrison said. “These families are struggling right now. The mortgages don’t stop, the rents don’t stop, the student loan payments don’t stop, the car payments don’t stop, and now you have kids who are in your house seven days a week, 24 hours a day.”
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 4:16 PM.
