Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) called for the reopening of his state and the country late Monday, saying there are "more important things than living.”

Patrick said on Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that he was “vindicated” after being criticized for saying in March that he thought “lots of grandparents” across the country would risk their survival to keep the country afloat economically.

“There are more important things than living, and that’s saving this country for my children and grandchildren and saving this country for all of us,” he said Monday.

“I don’t want to die," he added. “Nobody wants to die, but man we gotta take some risks and get back in the game and get this country back up and running.”

The Texas official stood by his March remarks and said the country “should not have been locked down.”

“I’m thankful that we are now beginning to open up Texas and other states because it’s long overdue,” Patrick said.

“We cannot endure this much longer,” he added. “Every month we stay closed, it’s going to take two to three months to rebuild.”

Patrick also said that “every life is valuable,” but Texas should not be shut down because a small percentage of the population is dying.