Washington — The Senate approved a relief package worth roughly $484 billion to mitigate the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, ending weeks of stalemate between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.
The bill, which passed by unanimous consent, provides an additional $310 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, the fund that provides loans to small businesses and ran out of money last week. The package also includes $60 billion in disaster relief loans and grants, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion to boost coronavirus testing.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the deal on Tuesday. McConnell asked that the measure be approved by unanimous consent, and it passed without formal objection, although Republican Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee voiced their opposition before the request.
Source: CBS News