Historic $2.2 trillion coronavirus bill passes U.S. House, becomes law

[rooster59]

Historic $2.2 trillion coronavirus bill passes U.S. House, becomes law

By David Morgan and Susan Cornwell

 

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is flanked by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) as she displays the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid bill during a signing ceremony after the House of Representatives approved the rescue package at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 27, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved a $2.2 trillion (£1.77 trillion) aid package - the largest in history - to help cope with the economic downturn inflicted by the intensifying coronavirus pandemic, and President Donald Trump quickly signed it into law.

 

The massive bill passed the Senate and House of Representatives nearly unanimously. The rare bipartisan action underscored how seriously Republican and Democratic lawmakers are taking the global pandemic that has killed more than 1,500 Americans and shaken the nation's medical system.

 

"Our nation faces an economic and health emergency of historic proportions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the worst pandemic in over 100 years," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at the close of a three-hour debate before the lower chamber approved the bill. "Whatever we do next, right now we're going to pass this legislation."

 

The massive bill also rushes billions of dollars to medical providers on the front lines of the outbreak.

 

But the bipartisan spirit seemed to end at the White House. Neither Pelosi nor Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was invited to Trump's all-Republican signing ceremony for the bill, aides said.

 

Their Republican counterparts, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, did attend, along with three Republican House members.

 

"This will deliver urgently needed relief to our nation's families, workers and businesses," Trump said. "I really think in a fairly short period of time ... we'll be stronger than ever."

 

The Democratic-led House approved the package on a voice vote, turning back a procedural challenge from Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who had sought to force a formal, recorded vote.

 

To keep Massie's gambit from delaying the bill's passage, hundreds of lawmakers from both parties returned to Washington despite the risk of contracting coronavirus. For many, that meant long drives or overnight flights.

 

One member who spent hours in a car was Republican Representative Greg Pence, the brother of Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump has put in charge of efforts to handle the coronavirus crisis.

 

Pence drove the nearly 600 miles (966 km) from his home state, Indiana, to Washington on Thursday. "We can't afford to wait another minute," he said on Twitter.

 

'THIRD RATE GRANDSTANDER'

 

Massie wrote on Twitter that he thought the bill contained too much extraneous spending and gave too much power to the Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank. His fellow lawmakers overruled his request for a recorded vote.

 

Trump attacked Massie on Twitter, calling him a "third rate Grandstander" and saying he should be thrown out of the Republican party. "He just wants the publicity," wrote the president, who last week began pushing for urgent action on coronavirus after long downplaying the risk.

 

Democratic and Republican leaders had asked members to return to Washington to ensure there would be enough present to head off Massie's gambit. The session was held under special rules to limit the spread of the disease among members.

 

At least five members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than two dozen have self-quarantined to limit its spread.

 

The Senate, which approved the bill in a unanimous vote late on Wednesday, has adjourned and is not scheduled to return to Washington until April 20.

 

Democratic and Republican House leaders appeared together at a news conference at the Capitol to celebrate the bill's passage -- an unusual event for a chamber that is normally sharply divided along partisan lines.

 

"The virus is here. We did not ask for it, we did not invite it. We did not choose it. But with the passing of the bill you will see that we will fight it together, and we will win together," McCarthy said.

 

He did not say whether Massie would face any disciplinary measures from the party.

 

The rescue package is the largest fiscal relief measure ever passed by Congress.

 

The $2.2 trillion measure includes $500 billion to help hard-hit industries and $290 billion for payments of up to $3,000 to millions of families.

 

It will also provide $350 billion for small-business loans, $250 billion for expanded unemployment aid and at least $100 billion for hospitals and related health systems.

 

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States exceeded 100,000 on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, the most of any country.

 

Adding to the misery, the Labor Department reported the number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits surged to 3.28 million, the highest level ever.

 

For s graphic on Tracking the novel coronavirus in the United States:

 

https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-USA/0100B5K8423/index.html

 

(Reporting by David Morgan, Lisa Lambert, Doina Chiacu, Richard Cowan, Susan Cornwell, Andy Sullivan and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-28

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[Chomper Higgot]

Pelosi did s great job here.

 

Fought off the attempt by the executive to award itself a $500,000,000,000 secret slush fund, ensured frontline medical services would get the cash they need, batted off an attempt to strip

funding from women’s health and stopped any of this money going to businesses owned by Trump or his family.

 

As for Trump excluding Democrats from the signing of this bipartisan bill, I’m quite certain they are very pleased not to be in a room with him right now.

[lannarebirth]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Pelosi did s great job here.

 

Fought off the attempt by the executive to award itself a $500,000,000,000 secret slush fund, ensured frontline medical services would get the cash they need, batted off an attempt to strip

funding from women’s health and stopped any of this money going to businesses owned by Trump or his family.

 

As for Trump excluding Democrats from the signing of this bipartisan bill, I’m quite certain they are very pleased not to be in a room with him right now.

 

That's not even a 1/8th of what the Democrat and Republican leadership forced through without consulting Congress and allowing a roll call vote. The headlines are extremely misleading. Several segments here will explain it.

 

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/489799-rising-march-27-2020

 

[Chomper Higgot]

12 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

That's not even a 1/8th of what the Democrat and Republican leadership forced through without consulting Congress and allowing a roll call vote. The headlines are extremely misleading. Several segments here will explain it.

 

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/489799-rising-march-27-2020

 

Forgive me for not providing a fully itemized list.

 

 

[lannarebirth]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Forgive me for not providing a fully itemized list.

 

 

I don't need a list. I know what's on it. $500 Billion amounts to less than 1/8 of the corporate bailout, not the line items.

[Boon Mee]

Yup, Pelosi did a great job shoveling pork ???? into the bill but fortunately, smarter heads prevailed and the illegal aliens won't be receiving the stimulus checks as she wanted. 

 

MAGA 

[bristolboy]

4 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Yup, Pelosi did a great job shoveling pork ???? into the bill but fortunately, smarter heads prevailed and the illegal aliens won't be receiving the stimulus checks as she wanted. 

 

MAGA 

But laid off Americans and legal residents of the USA will be receiving an extra $600 per week thanks to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats.

Oh, and super wealthy real estate investors can be getting 170 billion over the next 10 years thanks to the Republicans. That's on top of the giveaways given to them in Trump's tax bill. Hmm..what holder of a very high political office stands to benefit from this? And what son-in-law of a very high office holder also stands to benefit?

[khaowong1]

3 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

 

That's not even a 1/8th of what the Democrat and Republican leadership forced through without consulting Congress and allowing a roll call vote. The headlines are extremely misleading. Several segments here will explain it.

 

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/489799-rising-march-27-2020

 

We need Ventilators!
People are Dying!!!
Quick, let’s Fund the Kennedy Center for the Arts and give Congress a 25% Raise in Pay.

Edited March 28, 2020 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[bristolboy]

2 hours ago, khaowong1 said:

We need Ventilators!
People are Dying!!!
Quick, let’s Fund the Kennedy Center for the Arts and give Congress a 25% Raise in Pay.

And lets cut tax revenue by 17 billion a year to benefit wealthy real estate investors such as Donald Trump and Jared Kushner.

[lannarebirth]

10 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

And lets cut tax revenue by 17 billion a year to benefit wealthy real estate investors such as Donald Trump and Jared Kushner.

 

Apparently Jared gets that retroactive to last year. I'm sure he had no input on that one.

 

[lannarebirth]

2 hours ago, khaowong1 said:

We need Ventilators!
People are Dying!!!
Quick, let’s Fund the Kennedy Center for the Arts and give Congress a 25% Raise in Pay.

 

That gig as a Buddhist monk didn't really take, huh?

[SAINT THOMAS]

Revelation 6:6 ⁶

 

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "Two pounds of wheat for a day's wages, and six pounds of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

 

[Silurian]

And yet the Reality TV Con Man wants to make this relief package all about himself...

 

Trump Wants to Personally Sign Economic Relief Checks

 

Quote

“Mr. Trump has told people he wants his signature to appear on the direct payment checks that will go out to many Americans in the coming weeks.”

“Normally, a civil servant—the disbursing officer for the payment center—would sign federal checks.”

 

[lannarebirth]

1 minute ago, Silurian said:

And yet the Reality TV Con Man wants to make this relief package all about himself...

 

Trump Wants to Personally Sign Economic Relief Checks

 

 

 It's like we're all auditing a 4 year long course in abnormal psychology.

[bristolboy]

36 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 It's like we're all auditing a 4 year long course in abnormal psychology.

Wish I had thought of that.

[4MyEgo]

Hope the markets might react to this with a 

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Silurian said:

And yet the Reality TV Con Man wants to make this relief package all about himself...

 

Trump Wants to Personally Sign Economic Relief Checks

 

 

Treasury Secretary issues the checks so he should be signing them unless he delegates that.

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

 

That's not even a 1/8th of what the Democrat and Republican leadership forced through without consulting Congress and allowing a roll call vote. The headlines are extremely misleading. Several segments here will explain it.

 

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/489799-rising-march-27-2020

 

Senate vote was unanimous so no roll call was necessary.

In the House a quorum of 216 congressmen blocked the rule change for a roll call and passed the bill by voice vote. Perfectly normal legislative procedures. Good on both Republican and Democrat congressional leadership in the House to bypass Massie's rogue behavior in a bipartisan manner!

Trump even tweeted of Massie's "third rate grandstanding": "He just wants the publicity. He can'stop it, only delay it, which is both dangerous & costly."

[lannarebirth]

2 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Senate vote was unanimous so no roll call was necessary.

In the House a quorum of 216 congressmen blocked the rule change for a roll call and passed the bill by voice vote. Perfectly normal legislative procedures. Good on both Republican and Democrat congressional leadership in the House to bypass Massie's rogue behavior in a bipartisan manner!

Trump even tweeted of Massie's "third rate grandstanding": "He just wants the publicity. He can'stop it, only delay it, which is both dangerous & costly."

 

It is not good. MANY members of the House from both parties had problems with this package because of it's weighting that overwhelmingly favored large corporations and underweighting the needs of the people and small businesses. Pelosi pushed for a voice vote in the House so no Congress member's vote would be recorded.

[bristolboy]

16 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

It is not good. MANY members of the House from both parties had problems with this package because of it's weighting that overwhelmingly favored large corporations and underweighting the needs of the people and small businesses. Pelosi pushed for a voice vote in the House so no Congress member's vote would be recorded.

There were lots of Republicans who felt the it underweighted the needs of regular folks? Can you define "lots"?

[atyclb]

23 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

We live in a political world, where mercy walks the plank. Life is in mirrors, death disappears, up the steps to the nearest bank. - Bob Dylan

 

kudos to zimmerman

[lannarebirth]

2 minutes ago, atyclb said:

 

kudos to zimmerman

 

Bobby dropped his first song in 8 years today. Yeah, the voice is shot, but who cares? It's a jewel.

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-bob-dylans-new-song-973993/

 

https://genius.com/Bob-dylan-murder-most-foul-lyrics

[bkk6060]

3 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

 It's like we're all auditing a 4 year long course in abnormal psychology.

Add 4 more years.

Think you will finish the class by then?

[lannarebirth]

10 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Add 4 more years.

Think you will finish the class by then?

 

I'm counting on one of his more racist sycophants taking him out because they're worried he isn't destroying the democracy fast enough.

[atyclb]

5 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

5 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

kudos to zimmerman

 

Bobby dropped his first song in 8 years today. Yeah, the voice is shot, but who cares? It's a jewel.

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-bob-dylans-new-song-973993/

 

https://genius.com/Bob-dylan-murder-most-foul-lyrics

 

dylan knew, just listen to the lyrics. "we already got someone to take your place"

 

not too many musicians, songwriters, guitarists get nobel prizes

Edited March 28, 2020 by atyclb

[bristolboy]

At the signing ceremony Trump said this:

"I want to thank Democrats and Republicans for coming together and putting America first,” Trump told reporters."

 

 

"President Trump on Friday declined to invite Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrats to the White House ceremony where he signed the historic $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package passed earlier in the day by the House, aides said.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/489913-pelosi-not-invited-by-trump-to-white-house-coronavirus-relief-bills-signing

 

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

25 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

At the signing ceremony Trump said this:

"I want to thank Democrats and Republicans for coming together and putting America first,” Trump told reporters."

 

 

"President Trump on Friday declined to invite Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrats to the White House ceremony where he signed the historic $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package passed earlier in the day by the House, aides said.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/489913-pelosi-not-invited-by-trump-to-white-house-coronavirus-relief-bills-signing

 

 

 

 

Yes, and he curiously refuses to model social distance in his public events

[Susco]

10 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Hope the markets might react to this with a 

 

The deal was approved during market times on Friday, and they reacted right. Expect some more of it on Monday

 

[bristolboy]

It's a good thing Congress provided for an Inspector General to keep an eye on the 500 billion dollar loan program. Not that Trump would ever try to hide information about the details of these loans... Oh wait a minute...

Trump Suggests He Can Gag Inspector General for Stimulus Bailout Program

In a signing statement, the president undermined a key safeguard Democrats had insisted upon as a condition of approving $500 billion in corporate relief in the $2 trillion law.

 When President Trump signed the $2 trillion economic stabilization package on Friday to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, he undercut a crucial safeguard that Democrats insisted upon as a condition of agreeing to include a $500 billion corporate bailout fund.

In a signing statement released hours after Mr. Trump signed the bill in a televised ceremony in the Oval Office, the president suggested he had the power to decide what information a newly created inspector general intended to monitor the fund could share with Congress.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/us/trump-signing-statement-coronavirus.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage

[4MyEgo]

12 hours ago, Susco said:

 

The deal was approved during market times on Friday, and they reacted right. Expect some more of it on Monday

 

Monday will be up, then we will have the ups and downs, over the next month or so, some bigger ups and some bigger down, by this time next year will be back to where we were 20 February, my left one tells me that.

 

It's made of crystal, either way, its a good time to buy, opportunities like this don't come often.