US Senate passes US$2 trillion coronavirus emergency package
- It is the biggest economic rescue package in US history
- The bill now goes to the House, where passage is expected Friday
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Sarah Ferris, Melanie Zanona, Heather Caygle on politico.com on March 25, 2020.
The US Senate late Wednesday unanimously approved a US $2 trillion emergency package intended to stave off total economic collapse in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, bringing an end to more than five days of negotiations between senators and the Trump administration.
The measure - which comes after hours of delays over a dispute on jobless benefits - is the biggest economic rescue package in US history. It includes direct checks to many Americans, a massive fund for beleaguered industries, immediate aid for hospitals and backup cash for state and local governments.
The Senate voted 96-0 in its last vote before adjourning until April 20, with an extended recess amid the pandemic. The bill now goes to the House where passage on a voice vote is scheduled for Friday.
“Our nation, obviously, is going through the kind of crisis that is totally unprecedented in living memory,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor just ahead of the vote.
“Help is on the way,” said Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, noting that negotiators packed “weeks if not months” of legislative dealings into mere days. The final bill text clocked in at 880 pages, with enormously complicated new programmes that will likely define the federal response to the crisis for years.