Sunday shows preview: Leaders weigh in as some states reopen economies; Biden deliberates a running mate

The country’s governors as well as some of the Trump administration’s top officials will make the rounds on this week’s slate of Sunday morning shows, as several states have begun to reopen their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Govs. Larry Hogan (R-Md.) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) will both appear on ABC’s “This Week.” Hogan on Friday announced a three-phase plan to reopening Maryland’s economy, but reiterated that the state was not ready to start the process. He had previously released a set of four benchmarks that the state would first have to meet before the process could start.

“The number of new cases of COVID-19 is still rising,” Hogan said at his Friday press conference. “Maryland is not yet able to lift our restrictions. I am optimistic that if Marylanders continue staying home and continue practicing physical distancing a little while longer, our numbers would continue to plateau.” Hogan added that he was hopeful that the process could begin in early May.

Hogan will also be on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Whitmer, who is on former Vice President Joe Biden’s (D) shortlist to be his running mate in November’s general election, on Friday extended Michigan’s stay-at-home order until May 15, however, she rolled back some of the state’s restrictions, allowing lawn service companies, landscapers, plant nurseries and bike repair shops to reopen with the caveat that they must still abide by social distancing guidelines. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams — two women who have been floated as Biden’s potential running mate — will appear on the news circuit this Sunday. Abrams has garnered attention recently, saying during an interview with the Atlantic that she would be the best candidate for vice president because of her ability to engage communities and build a broad coalition necessary to win the presidency in 2020. 

“If you look at what we were able to accomplish in Georgia, the growth of the numbers and the composition of the voters, I would put my capacity to win an election as the VP running mate alongside anyone’s,” she said.

Klobuchar will appear on ABC’s “This Week” and Abrams will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” as well as CNN’s “Face the Nation.” 

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, FOX’s “Sunday Morning Futures” and CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a key player in negotiations between the White House and Congress on coronavirus economic relief legislation will appear on “Fox News Sunday.”

On Friday, President Trump signed Congress’s fourth coronavirus economic stimulus package into law.

The $484 billion bill gives an additional $310 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), $60 billion of which is reserved for community banks and small lenders; $75 billion for hospitals; $25 billion to support testing efforts; and $60 billion for emergency disaster loans and grants. The passage of the legislation comes as funding for the for the PPP included in the $2.2 trillion stimulus package passed in late March ran out last week.

The president, in an Oval Office signing ceremony called the bill “great for small businesses, great for the workers.”

Democrats, who advocated for more funding for hospitals and testing were able to secure that money in the bill. They also advocated for more assistance for local and state governments, but were unable to secure funding in the latest package passed.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signaled on Wednesday, though, that a fifth package that could potentially have aid for states and local municipalities, though the measure would likely not be passed until May, when lawmakers are slated to return to Washington.

A full schedule of the shows is below.

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ABC’s “This Week”: Govs. Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich.; White House adviser Kevin Hassett; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D-Minn.)

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus task force coordinator; Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J.; Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota; Stacey Abrams, former Democratic candidate for Georgia governor.

CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Hogan; San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D); Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner; Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America; Barry Diller, chairman of IAC.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Birx; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo.; Abrams.

FOX News Channel’s “Fox News Sunday”: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Ok.); Steven Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary; Dr. Thomas Inglesby, professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, director of the Center for Health Security

FOX’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.); Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.); New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio (D); Birx