[ April 19, 2024 ]
Senate passes $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, sending it to the House
By: CNBC, March 26, 2020:
The Senate passes a $2 trillion economic relief package to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
It now heads to the House, which hopes to approve it by Friday.
Story continues below advertisementThe legislation, approved as waves of layoffs hit workers and hospitals look for resources, may not be the last action Congress takes to help a reeling economy and health care system.
The Senate passed a historic $2 trillion coronavirus relief package Wednesday night, as it tries to stem the destruction the pandemic has brought to American lives and wallets.
The chamber approved the bill in a unanimous 96-0 vote after days of furious negotiations, partisan sniping and raised tempers on the Senate floor. The bill now heads to the House, which will push to pass it by voice vote Friday morning as most representatives are out of Washington.
The 880-page legislation includes direct payments to individuals, stronger unemployment insurance, loans and grants to businesses and more health care resources for hospitals, states and municipalities. It includes requirements that insurance providers cover preventive services for the coronavirus disease COVID-19.
Read more: Here’s what’s in the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill
The Senate passed the plan to combat the outbreak as the crisis started to thin its ranks. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., did not vote after testing positive for COVID-19, and neither did GOP Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee of Utah, both in isolation after contact with their colleague. Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota senator and second-ranking Republican, also missed the vote after feeling ill.
While the Senate took precautions Wednesday such as keeping votes open longer to reduce crowding, senators still huddled in groups and chatted.
Speaking before the chamber passed the bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate would not return until April 20. However, he said lawmakers would be “nimble” as the evolving crisis could force further action to boost the American economy or health care system.
“If circumstances require the Senate to return for a vote sooner than April the 20th we will provide at least 24 hours of notice,” he said.
Before passing the bill, the Senate first rejected an amendment proposed by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., to cap unemployment insurance at a recipient’s previous wages. It failed in a 48-48 vote.
Sasse and three of his GOP colleagues threatened to delay passage of the legislation if they could not get a vote on an amendment. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., then suggested he could hold up the bill’s approval if they did not back down from their opposition.
While the snag caused fears the bill would not pass, hitting U.S. stock indexes just before markets closed Wednesday, it ultimately did not stop the Senate from approving the proposal.
In a letter to colleagues Wednesday night, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the chamber will convene at 9 a.m. Friday to consider the bill. The Maryland Democrat said that “in order to protect the safety” of representatives and staff and “prevent the further spread of COVID-19,” he and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., expect the House will take a voice vote.
“Members who want to come to the House Floor to debate this bill will be able to do so. In addition, we are working to ensure that those who are unable to return to Washington may express their views on this legislation remotely,” he wrote.
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38 Comments
4 years ago
Senate Releases $2 Trillion Coronavirus Package
SEAN MORAN 25 Mar 2020
…
The amendment would bar Americans from getting more from unemployment than they would while they are employed. The measure is supported by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Rick Scott (R-FL) and will require 60 votes to attach the amendment to the bill.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rebuffed the Republican senators’ concerns over the bill, contending this will help those who involuntarily lost their jobs.
“I don’t think it will create incentives, most Americans, what they want, they want to keep their jobs,” Mnuchin said.
(That is a naive comment. It’s disgusting, but many people make career out of gaming the system when they are at lower income levels. They should not be rewarded and destroy the work incentive. We shouldn’t be so reckless with money. Why anyone would object to that is beyond me…)
…
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/25/senate-releases-2-trillion-coronavirus-package/
4 years ago
It will be interesting if the two Muslims in the house will vote for it because of the amount of “pork” in the bill.
4 years ago
Reply to
Mohammed_Goldberg
I would bet they’d vote for it just because it adds more debt. Notice a voice vote was used to pass it. Voice votes are not recorded so we’ll never know…It’s an easier way to rush bills through without individual accountability.
I am glad it had this amendment. We shouldn’t be using stimulus money to reward people with more money than they would normally earn!
4 years ago
Reply to
felix1999
If you are talking about the unemployment amendment part of the bill, Sanders threatened to derail the whole bill if the amendment passed; therefore, it didn’t pass. According to Lindsay Graham, people are now being paid $23.00 a hour not to work.
4 years ago
How much of the previously defined “pork: is in the release? If ballot harvesting is still present it will destroy the GOP.
4 years ago
Reply to
Michelle
You’re worried about ballot harvesting? I, also, am quite concerned.
However, do NOT forget about “same day voter registration” and no requisite identification.
When do the polls open? How closely are they located, one to another? What’s better, GPS or map? How many can I get to in one day? How many “names” and false addresses will I need to carry, in order to not make any errors?
Now, sit back and watch the election results.
4 years ago
Now we have diversity police…..
4 years ago
Reply to
felix1999
No. To the Left Wingut Regressives (Democrat Party members) ALL cultures are superior to ours.
4 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohandjob
Don’t you see future policemen, brain surgeons, judges and Presidents there?
Are you xenophobic and waysist?
Speaking of craziness –
NJ Releases Up To 1,000 Prisoners From Jail, Threatens Residents For Disobeying Lockdown Orders
POSTED BY: DEAN JAMES MARCH 25, 2020
By Steve Straub at The Federalist Papers
Democrats hate ordinary citizens, and it is during times like now, where it becomes really apparent.
In New Jersey the state’s Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, has ordered up to 1,000 prisoners in the state be released due to the threat posed by the coronavirus.
The Chief Justice released two classes of prisoners, those imprisoned for low level crimes and those in prison for probation violations.
…
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and the County Prosecutors Association of the State of New Jersey also signed onto the agreement.
The order allows county prosecutors to challenge the release of inmates. It also suspends their sentences until the coronavirus crisis has passed rather than commute the sentences, but gives judges the discretion whether to order inmates back to jail later or give them credit for time served. …
https://rightwingtribune.com/2020/03/25/nj-releases-up-to-1000-prisoners/
Letting out prisoners in the middle of a pandemic, threatening citizens with fines for leaving their homes for non-approved reasons, and closing gun stores to honest law abiding citizens. What could go wrong?
Gov Murphy, New Jersey, is letting prisoners out of jail, free to roam where ever they desire, while charging non-criminal citizens with Disorderly Conduct – a $1000 fine, up to 364 days in jail.
…
4 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohandjob
I’m sorry. You are right. They are MORE American than you or me.
4 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohandjob
Oh, I see. Can I start behaving like our betters and get away with what they get away with? Since you can self identify with nearly anything, can I pick one in the graphic and self identity with one of them?
4 years ago
Globalists are creating this “circus” on purpose, like good cop bad cop. So the Globalists (bad cop) created a bioweapon to demand a 2 year shutdown (bluff) then Trump (good cop) will say “just give the Globalists $2 trillion (more funding for this bioweapon) and everything will be great again.” This bioweapon is not just a virus, it includes vaccines, 5G, chemtrails and nano particles (getting worse under Trump). Trump’s power is based on the perception that he is the good cop, so if we expose this scam then Trump will drop it, but this bioweapon will never end until the Globalists fall.
4 years ago
Reply to
Rick Gouveia
No doubt in my mind that those who are seeking global hegemony are profiting from the deliberate spread of the CCP Virus,but let’s be clear this was created by the CCP and released to destroy our economy and make us malleable to accept the CCP global dominance.
4 years ago
Reply to
John Acord
The nano experts that helped the CCP with this virus are from USA and UK, so they must all be working for the same boss. Also, the virus itself is like a normal flu but other factors (like nano particles and 5G) can make it deadly.
4 years ago
Reply to
John Acord
They want to collapse our economy and not restart it as Trump plans on doing.
4 years ago
It’s obvious now that the CCP Virus only is deadly when contracte ‘sdby the elderly and those with serious health problems.Would it not be appropriate to open the economy to the young and healthy and isolate the elderly?
4 years ago
Reply to
John Acord
Some parts of the U.S. that are badly hit will remain shut down while other parts will open up. NY will probably continue to be shut down. It will depend on the spread. BTW younger people are also dying. It’s not just the elderly… Maybe it has mutated?
4 years ago
Reply to
felix1999
Many young people have very poor heath and are terribly obese and nutritionally deficient and suffer from drug and alcohol abuse.
4 years ago
The federal government has gone from it’s humble beginnings as freedom fighters, to thugs and theives stealing citizen’s liberties, using propaganda, selling America to become kings over kingdoms. Now drunk with power, morphing into demonic gods, birthing chaos upon the world, creating authority out of thin air. Stealing the past, present and future of mankind.
4 years ago
That’s funny. I thought something was going to be done to REDUCE our government’s spending like a drunk sailor.
After all, we’re already so deep in debt – we have for many decades now been the greatest debtor nation in the world – that we will NEVER be able to even pay the interest on it.
And where do you think this HUGE amount of money is coming from?
It’s being stolen from WE THE PEOPLE.
Without us ever being asked to vote on it, Trump signed this bill with just a flick of his hand and his pen.
Remember that Trump once said after being elected, “You never know what I’m going to do next”, and ask yourself if we should ever have a president who would say such a thing.
This is just another reminder that ‘better than Hillary’ wasn’t anywhere near good enough…
And anybody who thinks that the coronavirus just popped up naturally when it did, I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.
4 years ago
Reply to
Merlinever
This time it is CRITICAL that this spending happens. We can not operate as a country indefinitely shut down. It will collapse our economy.
US unemployment claims shatter record as coronavirus hammers economy
By Megan HenneyFOXBusiness 3/28/20
…
The number eclipsed the previous record of 695,000 set in 1982 and is well above the levels seen in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, the Labor Department said in its weekly report.
…
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/us-unemployment-claims-shatter-record-as-coronavirus-hammers-economy
4 years ago
It will be interesting to observe how many House members fail to be reelected 3 November, That horrid lush, Pelosi, should go down in flames (fueled by cellular alcohol) but one knows how Calizuelans vote…….
4 years ago
Reply to
durabo
Schumer and Pelois are safe for life. Their districts are totally brain dead. As for others, PEOPLE FORGET or it is the lesser of two evils, and depending on the voter’s perspective they get voted in again. It’s pathetic.
The corrupt politicians are well funded because they do the bidding of their donors and special interests so better candidates don’t get the press or attention they need because they lack money to have equal promotional footing than the corrupt ones.
If Trump was not a wealthy man and used his OWN money, he would not have been elected. In 2016, the GOP used the majority of money Trump raised for the GOP on themselves. They were convinced Trump would not win and they also didn’t want him to win. Trump wasn’t and still isn’t part of the swamp club. Paul Ryan, former Speaker of the House, did nothing to help Trump’s agenda.
Prior to Trump, the swamp was and is perfectly content to manage our decline – BOTH parties with few exceptions. Trump spoiled that. This is also why the GOP still doesn’t want to cooperate with Trump. They disapprove of his agenda. It is a miracle he gets anything done.
4 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohandjob
Here’s the final Bill from the Senate ->
You can do a search on key phrases like migration, refugee or immigration….
https://www.scribd.com/document/453273118/Cares-Act-Final-Text
4 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed, I live in Arizona. We hope to build a Mexican-style wall along the Colorado River to keep Calizuelans in their own fecal swamp.
4 years ago
Just lovely!
Senate Unanimously Passes Historic Coronavirus Relief Package
SEAN MORAN 25 Mar 2020
…
The Senate shot down an amendment to the bill sponsored by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), which would reverse the bill’s generous unemployment benefits. Sens. Sasse, Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Rick Scott (R-FL) contended that the legislation would incentivize Americans not to work. The amendment required 60 votes to pass through the chamber. Sasse’s amendment was shot down with 48 votes in favor and 48 against the measure.
…
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/25/senate-unanimously-passes-historic-coronavirus-relief-package/
So we are OVER PAYING people to stay home. Incentive to lay more people off and more people to not work! Just great!
Oh well that is how it is in the swamp! Money grows on trees. The extemely wealthy have their tax loopholes and the “poor” practically speaking don’t pay taxes because they are “poor”. So, it always falls on the middle class that both parties claim to champion. LOL!
They passed the Bill on a VOICE VOTE but to pass the amendment Mitch required 60 recorded votes. A voice vote is just that and only requires a simple majority and how they voted is not recorded.. Way to go Mitch! Just keep running up our debt and hope it comes back through revenue. Don’t bother to be prudent about it… Geesh!
4 years ago
Democrats are showing their true colors lately
4 years ago
Unemployment claims hit record 3.3M
as coronavirus crashes economy
By Megan HenneyFOXBusiness 3/26/20
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/us-unemployment-claims-shatter-record-as-coronavirus-hammers-economy
4 years ago
The lack of imagination in this bill is breathtaking. It amounts to the Federal Govt borrowing more money and distributing it little or no hope of repayment.
Here’s an idea:
What about eliminating the early withdrawal penalty on IRAs? The Govt could also allow a one-time tax-free withdrawal from IRAs (up to $10,000?). If they did this, millions of middle class taxpayers would not need to rcv a govt payout. IRA money is already in the domain of the taxpayer so it would not add to the national debt.
The whole point of retirement money is saving for a rainy day, in this case, a natural disaster. Well, right now millions of working Americans need access to that money.
