In a testy exchange, ranking member Sherrod Brown asked the treasury secretary how many workers should give their lives to boost the GDP

The Trump administration wants the economy open, like, yesterday. The nonpartisan Federal Reserve is responding to the reality that the economy isn’t fully opening anytime soon.

That divergent message was apparent in the opening testimonies of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell before the Senate Banking Committee.

Mnuchin, a member of the Trump administration, noted he was testifying remotely only because the committee had asked him to, and he encouraged in-person testimony in the future. He also said it’s time to reopen the economy, arguing, “It is so important to bring workers back in a safe way.”

Powell, by contrast, praised essential workers in his opening remarks. He noted that the United States has “temporarily withdrawn from some parts of the economy to help slow the spread of the virus,” and lauded the “enormous sacrifice” made by Americans during this difficult time. He noted the burden has fallen most on those least able to bear it, and he encouraged policymakers to continue to cushion the blow.