White House, Senate reach deal on massive $2 trillion coronavirus spending bill
March 24, 2020 / By Lauren Egan, Rebecca Shabad and Julie Tsirkin
WASHINGTON — The White House and Senate leaders reached an agreement early Wednesday on a massive $2 trillion coronavirus spending bill aimed at alleviating the economic impact of the outbreak.
“At last, we have a deal. After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced from the Senate floor shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday. “In effect, this is a wartime level of investment for our nation.”
McConnell said the Senate would vote on the legislation by the end of the day on Wednesday.
“The Senate is going to stand together, act together, and pass this historic relief package today,” he said, addressing the chamber around noon on Wednesday. “Struggling Americans are going to go to their mailboxes and find four-figure checks to help with their bills. Why? Because the Senate stepped up.”
Overnight, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters that President Donald Trump would “absolutely” sign it if Congress passes it.
