Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of a trillion-dollar stimulus package on Sunday evening, arguing that the aid measure failed to adequately protect workers impacted by the novel coronavirus spread.
The historic relief package was introduced by Senate Republicans on Thursday and aimed to cut corporate taxes, offer large loans to small businesses and major corporations, and limit the paid leave expansion passed in the emergency measure. The deal offered $250 billion directly to Americans, as well as 39 weeks of unemployment insurance to eligible workers, according to Axios.
But Democrats have said the bill requires a long-term and structural response rather than a short-term influx of federal subsidy, rejecting the Republican draft and denying the GOP the 60 votes it needed to advance. The vote was split 47-47.
The vote was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern Time but was delayed until 6 p.m. Talks are expected to continue into Sunday evening.
It’s unclear how much the stimulus package would cost, though according to The New York Times it could be $1.8 trillion or more.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called on senators to pass legislation and “signal to the public that we’re ready to get this job done.”
Trump has already signed two emergency bills to help prop up government health agencies and workers impacted by the coronavirus, including an $8.3 billion package for government health agencies and about $100 billion for expanded paid leave, unemployment insurance, and food and healthcare aid.
News of failure to pass the stimulus package hit markets, leading US stock futures to plunge.
As of Sunday evening, the US had 33,420 confirmed cases of the virus and reported 417 deaths across all 50 states and several territories.
In a press conference on Sunday night, Trump announced that the US National Guard had been activated in California, New York, and Washington. The administration stressed that the deployment of Guard troops is not martial law, but they serve as an additional resource that governors can assign depending on the needs of different communities.
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