Democrats propose another big-ticket bailout

House Democrats want to vote on a $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill on Friday. The legislation primarily serves as a wish list for the controlling party: It likely won’t become law, but it helps Democrats establish the policies they want to promote in future negotiations.

What’s in the bill? It would give $875 billion to state and local governments, $20 billion to tribal nations and U.S. territories, and $25 billion to bolster the struggling U.S. Postal Service. It also includes billions for mortgage and rent relief, elections, and another round of direct payments to taxpayers. Republicans in both chambers dismissed the bill, while some Democrats complained it did not include funding for small-business payrolls, which would have a price tag of $650 billion.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew about the debate over economic relief for state and local governments.