The View' Meghan McCain calls on companies to double pay for 'essential' workers during coronavirus outbreak

As essential workers including employees of online delivery businesses in the U.S. face tough choices amid the coronavirus outbreak, “The View” co-hosts question if they should be treated like first responders.

"The View" co-host Meghan McCain argued on Tuesday that corporations should double the pay for workers who are performing "essential" services during the coronavirus outbreak.

"Anyone who is doing any kind of essential work for us right now should not only get hazard pay, but should have their pay doubled," she said.

"And if corporations aren't going to have a conscience enough to take care of these workers -- who, by the way, just have a higher susceptibility of getting the virus, not necessarily getting the kind of medical care they would necessarily need," she said.

She added that the government should step in with another stimulus if necessary. "I think that it is up to the government and I think if we have to do another stimulus and aid package for essential workers, that's what we have to do at this time," she said.

"The View" co-hosts were discussing how employees at Amazon and Instacart were going on strike during the pandemic.

"And again," McCain added, "I'm normally like the last person on planet Earth that ever wants the government to give any kind of, you know, financial handout to anyone. But I think these people are putting their lives on the line, putting their families at risk, just for us to be able to get our groceries and needed packages, and whatever else." Co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines agreed.

McCain's comments came after President Trump signed a historic, $2 trillion bill designed to provide relief during the coronavirus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that a fourth round of coronavirus legislation will focus on the nation's "recovery" and singled out building up critical infrastructure.

Pelosi said Congress first addressed the "emergency" phase of the crisis with the initial $8.3 billion package for health funding and the second bill to grant free tests and paid sick leave. Next, Congress moved to what she called the "mitigation" phase with the massive $2.2 trillion legislation that passed last week to give direct payments to Americans, boost unemployment and rescue businesses, she said.