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$484 Billion in Stopgap Coronavirus Funding Ready for Trump Signature

Katherine Gypson

   The U.S. House of Representatives passed $484 billion in additional
   funding for small businesses and hospitals Thursday, a stopgap effort
   to add more money to the largest relief package in U.S. history.
   Lawmakers have now passed four measures worth trillions of dollars in a
   six-week period to address the economic and public health crises caused
   by the coronavirus outbreak.

   The vote, 388-5-1, marked the first time the entire House had returned
   to Washington since mid-March, when stay-at-home orders preventing the
   spread of the coronavirus began to take effect. Voting stretched over
   several hours as lawmakers recorded their responses in small groups,
   with pauses every 30 minutes while the House chamber was cleaned.

   The measure will now head to President Donald Trump to be signed into
   law.

   The majority of the additional funding passed Thursday will be targeted
   at small businesses that missed out on an earlier pool of rescue money.
   Congressional Democrats negotiated for some of the $320 billion in new
   funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) assistance to be
   specifically directed to women and minority-owned businesses as well as
   individuals who do not have access to banks.

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