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.
Karen Read judge blocks Sandra Birchmore mentions; expert says cases should be wake-up call for police
Woman confronts cannibal father who murdered her ‘second mom’ in chilling reunion
‘You saved my life:’ Freed hostage Edan Alexander thanks Trump in emotional phone call
Massive sailing vessel collides with Brooklyn Bridge in dramatic NYC crash caught on camera
Mexican navy training ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino: James Comey ‘brought shame to the FBI again’ with ’86 47′ post
Wes Moore vetoes Maryland slavery reparations study
Heartland America Rocked by Extreme Weather, Dozens Dead
Op-Ed: The Grassroots Want Republicans to Actually End Abortion
Explosion outside fertility clinic rocks Palm Springs: ‘Intentional act of violence’
Rep. Nancy Mace Shocked After Seeing Trans Suspect Charged with Threatening Her Life: ‘He’s Twice my Size. It Was Scary’
Ruling South African Party Furious After White Refugees Escape to US, Wanted to Impose ‘Accountability for Historic Privilege’
Explosion rocks Palm Springs, damaging buildings and sending debris into the street
Transgender Athlete Vows He’ll Take State Championship from Female Competitors to Spite ‘Haters’
America’s largest remaining antebellum mansion burns down in devastating fire
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.