US Senate Passes Coronavirus Economic Bill, Heads to Trump Desk for Signature

The US Senate and House of Representatives have both voted in favor of passing legislation that would expand paid leave and assist in providing unemployment insurance to the American people amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic.

The economic relief bill, which passed in the Senate with a final vote of 90-8 (60 votes needed to advance), now heads to the desk of US President Donald Trump for his signature to sign the matter into law. 

Despite opposition toward the bill from some GOP members of Congress regarding the legislation’s impact on small businesses, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed earlier Wednesday that he would vote for the plan, even with its “real shortcomings,” reported CNBC. 

“I do not believe we should let perfection be the enemy of something that will help even a subset of workers,” McConnell said. 

According to the the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are a total of 7,038 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US, with all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands reporting presence of the contagious disease. At the time of this article’s publication the novel coronavirus has caused the deaths of at least 97 individuals in the US.

Sourse: sputniknews.com