In a testy exchange between Ranking Member Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Brown asked why the Trump administration is so eager to send employees back to work during uncertain times. “How many workers should give their lives to increase the GDP … or the Dow by 1,000 points?” Brown, a Democrat, asked. “No workers should give their lives to do that, Senator, and I think your characterization is unfair,” Mnuchin said. Mnuchin, however, said the US economy risks “permanent damage” if it does not reopen soon, and businesses must bring people back to work “in a safe way.” The debate about when to reopen the economy is central in US policy, and it’s being laid bare in today’s hearing.