Senate Democrats block Republican Covid-19 relief proposal

Senate Democrats blocked a scaled-down, $500 billion Republican coronavirus relief measure Thursday, weakening the chances that Congress will approve another package before the November election.

Fifty-two out of the 53-member GOP caucus voted in favor of moving forward on the proposal, a win for Senate Republican leadership after weeks of internal division. But 60 votes were needed for the bill to advance, and no Senate Democrats voted for the measure, dismissing it as a political stunt.