West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Calls for Major Stimulus: ‘If We Actually Throw Away Some Money Right Now, So What?’

Governor Jim Justice (R- WV) said on CNN Monday that major stimulus is needed in the covid relief bill and said that arguments about fiscal responsibility need to factor in this massive crisis.

West Virginia has gotten national attention for successes in its vaccine rollout, and Justice spoke with Poppy Harlow about vaccinations and questions about teachers getting the shots.

Harlow also brought up the issue of the serious economic relief needed across the country, and given the ongoing negotiations over covid relief, Harlow asked Justice, “I wonder what is more important to the people of West Virginia and to you — that Biden’s $1.9 trillion bill passes, even if it’s without Republican support and through reconciliation, which would mean bigger checks to your folks in need, or that it’s a bipartisan agreement even if it’s less money?”

Justice talked about the people in his state struggling to pay bills before straight-up saying, “We need to understand that trying to be per se fiscally responsible at this point in time with what we’ve got going on in this country — if we actually throw away some money right now, so what? We have really got to move and get people taken care of and get people back on balance and I want to work with the Biden administration just like I worked with the Trump ministration and I want us to move forward.”

Harlow remarked it’s significant to hear that from a Republican governor (he ran as a Democrat but changed his party affiliation in 2017), especially given what West Virginia Democratic senator Joe Manchin has said about those payments.

Justice said he hasn’t talked to Manchin directly and added, “I don’t really know exactly what the thinking could possibly be there. I mean, we’ve got people in that are really hurting.”

“We can’t hold back. We’ve got to move,” Justice added.

You can watch above, via CNN.