Congress debates stimulus options

WASHINGTON—Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he and his colleagues will not leave town until they pass an economic relief bill. The Senate is almost ready to approve a $104 billion stimulus package the House passed last week to mitigate the economic drain of the COVID-19 outbreak. The bill would cover food aid, sick pay, unemployment insurance, and free testing for the new coronavirus.

Is more coming down the pipeline? The White House wants lawmakers to rally behind a follow-up bill, a massive $1 trillion stimulus to assist the airline industry, give emergency loans to small businesses, and send about $500 billion in direct cash payments to Americans beginning April 6. The proposal represents a shift from the administration’s initial idea of a payroll tax cut.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on the pandemic’s devastation in Italy and what it can teach the rest of the world.