U.S. House looks set to pass $500 billion coronavirus bill and oversight panel
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wears a face mask as she walks to the House Chamber ahead of a vote on an additional economic stimulus package passed earlier in the week by the U.S. Senate, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 23, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
The House action sent the latest of four relief bills to the White House, where Republican President Donald Trump has promised to sign it quickly into law. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the panel was essential to ensure funds go to those who need them and to prevent scams. Republicans said the committee was not needed, citing existing oversight bodies, and called the panel’s creation another expensive Democratic slap at Trump. The committee was approved on a vote of 212-182, along party lines.
“This is really a very, very, very sad day. We come to the floor with nearly 50,000 dead, a huge number of people, and the uncertainty of it all,” Pelosi said during debate on the bill. Congressional Republicans have resisted. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested in a radio interview on Wednesday that states could go bankrupt, but said later he did not want states to use federal funds for anything unrelated to the coronavirus.
There was also a half-hour break scheduled to clean the chamber between the two votes. But more than a dozen cleaners descended on the chamber with cloths and spray bottles and wiped it down in less than 10 minutes.Echoing Trump, many Republicans also want the country - including Congress - to reopen quickly.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
$500 billion coronavirus aid package passes U.S. Senate, headed to HouseThe U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved $484 billion in fresh relief for the U.S. economy and hospitals hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, sending the measure to the House of Representatives for final passage later this week.
Read more »
U.S. House to pass $500 billion coronavirus bill as next fight loomsThe U.S. House of Representatives returned to Washington on Thursday to pass a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill, funding small businesses and hospitals and pushing the total spending response to the crisis to an unprecedented nearly $3 trillion.
Read more »
U.S. Congress, White House agree on nearly $500 billion more coronavirus bailoutU.S. congressional leaders and the White House agreed on Tuesday on nearly $500 billion more in coronavirus relief for the U.S. economy, and President Donald Trump urged them to pass it quickly before beginning discussions on another.
Read more »
U.S. House to pass nearly $500 billion more in coronavirus reliefHundreds of members of the U.S. House of Representatives will gather in Washington on Thursday to pass a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill, bringing the unprecedented total of funds approved for the crisis to nearly $3 trillion.
Read more »
U.S. Senate passes nearly $500 billion coronavirus bill aiding small businessThe U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed legislation providing nearly $500 billion in additional federal aid to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and to aid hospitals dealing with large numbers of seriously ill patients.
Read more »
Senate bill could give governors $500 Billion they're asking for in coronavirus aid—if it makes it through CongressThe Cassidy-Menendez proposal would create a $500 billion fund to help state and local governments respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »