News Opinons Politics

President Trump, Congress Agree on $2 Trillion Coronavirus Emergency Relief Bill; ‘Unemployment Compensation on Steroids’

President Donald Trump and Congress reached a deal on the terms for a $2 trillion emergency relief bill to address the economic impact of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, early in the morning on Wednesday.

Politico reported:

Lawmakers and the Trump administration reached an agreement on a nearly $2 trillion coronavirus emergency rescue package, a move intended to assist businesses and millions of Americans amid an unprecedented halt in the economy.


The announcement caps five days of tense negotiations between senators and the White House. Both the Senate and House still need to approve the bill before sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature.

The president had sounded an optimistic tone in his briefing for reporters at the White House on Tuesday evening, though Republicans had been scathing in their criticism of Democrats for blocking Senate passage of a relief bill that had been agreed to by the two parties on Sunday.


Watch: Boy, 9, Has Slick Message for Bank Robber He Rescued His Nana From
Watch: Legendary ‘Journey’ Band Member, Songwriter Tells Trump-Hating Bruce Springsteen to ‘Shut Up’
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed accused Trump of inciting terrorism over Whitmer kidnapping plot
WATCH: Scalise serves up Olive Garden reality check for Democrats in voter ID fight
Illinois worker spent over six hours trapped in gas station sign too tall for fire truck ladders to reach
Purported Nancy Guthrie note includes unusual demand that breaks basic ransom rule: retired FBI negotiator
Rep. Jimmy Gomez’s toughest opponent may be an ethics investigation
Secret Service offers glimpse into WHCA Dinner security after alleged Trump assassination attempt
French Modeling Scout with Ties to Epstein Found Dead Near Paris
Boasberg delivers fresh immigration setback to Trump in free-speech clash
‘So Devastated’: Hollywood Stars Mourn Death of 18-Year-Old Actress
Academics and CEOs dominate Fed advisory boards
28 for ’28: The open presidential race field could reach more than two dozen candidates
Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is clumsy, anachronistic, and badly acted
China’s routing of Biden in chip war with US created a communist tech giant

See also  Five dead after group attempts to save struggling swimmer in Ohio

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had introduced her own version of a relief bill on Monday afternoon, loaded with pork for Democrat special interests and with demands to restructure the voting system to suit her party’s preferences.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) described the terms of the new deal as including “unemployment compensation on steroids” that would reimburse laid-off workers for their lost salaries, and guarantee furloughed workers their full benefits so that businesses could re-open when the coronavirus crisis was over.

There were also provisions for supporting small business, and for a special inspector general to oversee the administration of funds.

A vote must be taken in both houses before the president can sign the legislation. The Senate will reconvene at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 2,000 points on Tuesday — its largest gain in percentage terms since 1933 — on expectations of a deal, and after statements by the president that the economy might slowly re-open by Easter.

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter