Coronavirus | Featured Stories

By Beth Stibal |

UPDATED: Trump Signs Virus Relief Bill into Law, Plans for Bigger Stimulus; U.S., Canada Close Border

WEDNESDAY 8:40 P.M. UPDATE:

President Trump on Wednesday night signed into law a $100 billion coronavirus relief package which includes provisions for free COVID-19 testing and paid emergency leave.

The Senate approved the House-passed bill Wednesday afternoon.

The legislation, officially called The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, includes free coronavirus testing, expanded family and medical leave for some, paid emergency sick leave for some, unemployment benefits, food assistance, and protections for health care workers.

Describing himself as a “wartime president” fighting an invisible enemy, President Trump also invoked rarely used emergency powers on Wednesday, giving him the ability to obtain funding for critical medical supplies against the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump invoked his authority under the 70-year-old Defense Production Act to provide the government with more power to guide production by private companies and to try to overcome shortages in masks, ventilators, and other items.

He tweeted at the time:

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ORIGINAL STORY:

The U.S. Senate Wednesday afternoon voted to approve the House’s coronavirus response bill and promptly sent the measure to President Donald Trump for his approval.

Trump is expected to sign the legislation, called The Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

It includes free coronavirus testing, expanded family and medical leave for some, paid emergency sick leave for some, unemployment benefits, food assistance, and protections for health care workers.

The Senate passed the bill 90-8. Senators who voted against the bill are: Marsha Blackburn, Jim Inhofe, Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Ben Sasse, and Tim Scott. Senators Cory Gardner and Rick Scott did not vote.

Lawmakers plan to follow up the response bill with an additional economic rescue package the Trump administration estimates will cost $1.3 trillion.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans hope to agree on a plan with the White House and discuss it with Democrats this week.

“I would recommend senators stay around, close,” McConnell said. Although he could not predict when a bill would be ready for a vote, he added, “we are moving rapidly because the situation demands it.”

The White House increased its request to Congress for an additional $1.3 trillion Wednesday, including $500 billion in direct payments to Americans, $50 billion in loans to the distressed airline sector, and $150 billion to “severely distressed sectors” of the economy from the pandemic.

In addition, the U.S. and Canada have agreed to temporarily close their shared border to nonessential travel. President Trump made the announcement, tweeting:

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced on Monday that he was closing that country’s borders to anyone who is not a Canadian citizen, an American or a permanent resident, and even then they must self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.

Trudeau said at the time that the exemption for Americans was due to “the level of integration of our two economies.”

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says, “Nearly 200,000 people cross that border every day, and that border and that traffic that goes across that border is literally a lifeline for both the Canadians and the Americans on both sides of that border.”