Senate Reaches Agreement on Stimulus Package

From the story: The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. One of the last issues to close concerned $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines, given that Democrats wanted them to abide by new carbon emissions restrictions. Hospitals would get significant help as well (Fox News).  From Guy Benson: I’m sure we’ll learn about tweaks and language changes — but major top lines of the “deal” are more or less THE SAME as the bipartisan framework Democrats agreed to then filibustered for 3 days (Twitter).  Apparently, the bill nearly failed as Democrats wanted money for Planned Parenthood included (Washington Examiner). From Pete Peterson: Please tell me why @PPFA is within 900 miles of Congressional deliberations about a #coronavirus bill? (Twitter). From another story: Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the price tag of economic stimulus amounts to roughly $6 trillion, which includes $2 trillion for direct assistance, and roughly $4 trillion in Federal Reserve lending power. Kudlow said this will be the single-largest such Main Street financial package in the history of the country (CBS News).  One story notes “almost one third of Americans say they or someone in their close family is unemployed as a result of the coronavirus” (Daily Caller).