Toomey: Economy is ‘roaring back,’ another stimulus package would be ‘inappropriate’

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) touted the strength of the U.S. economy on Sunday and said that a new stimulus package would be “inappropriate,” given that Congress passed a bipartisan aid package in December.

Speaking with host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the retiring GOP senator explained that he believed even the $600 billion counter-offer presented by Republicans to the White House a week ago was too expensive.

“The economy has come roaring back. Disposable income is at record high levels,” Toomey said. “It’s not an economy in collapse, like it was in March.”

Asked about the 10 Senate Republicans who met with President Biden at the White House to discuss their own plan to pass more COVID-19 relief, including an extension to unemployment insurance, Toomey said he “disagree[s] with them” over whether Congress should act to pass more funding.

“I don’t support that, I think it’s completely inappropriate,” Toomey said of the $600 billion GOP plan.

President Biden reportedly told GOP senators following their meeting last week that their framework for a COVID-19 relief bill was too small, and Democrats have indicated that they plan to move forward and pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package without GOP votes through the budget reconciliation process.

In January, Toomey claimed that Biden’s stimulus plan would “likely slow down a recovery in employment,” a warning that was rejected on Sunday by Biden’s Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen.

“We need a big package, and we need to get this done quickly,” Yellen said on CNN, adding: “I would expect if this package is passed, that we would get back to full employment next year.”