The Senate has passed a bipartisan $8.3 billion emergency spending package to combat the new COVID-19 coronavirus, sending it to President Trump's desk for his signature.
The coronavirus funding package was easily passed on Thursday in a 96-1 vote, The Associated Press reports. The only no vote came from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who had been trying to get a foreign aid cut added to the package.
“I support our government's efforts to fight the coronavirus," Paul said after voting no, per NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell. "We also owe it to the American people to do it in a way that avoids piling billions more in debt on their backs."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This vote comes after the coronavirus death toll in the United States rose to 11, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency as the state reported its first death from the virus. The House of Representatives easily passed the coronavirus spending package on Wednesday with just two no votes.
Initially, the White House had proposed $2.5 billion to fight the new coronavirus, but on Wednesday, President Trump called the House's passage of the $8 billion spending bill "great news for our health, our economy, and our nation!"
-
AI workslop is muddying the American workplaceThe explainer Using AI may create more work for others
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
The 5 best mob movies of all timeThe Week Recommends If you don’t like a good gangster flick, just fuhgeddaboudit
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denialSpeed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoffSpeed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsionSpeed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
