Congress Passes Covid-19 Relief, Spending Package With Overwhelming Support

Congress overwhelmingly approved $900 billion of relief for households and businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic, passing an emergency measure aimed at buoying the country through a difficult winter and into a new year.

The bill now heads to the White House, where President Trump is expected to sign it into law.

The Senate voted 92-6 late Monday to approve both the infusion of coronavirus aid, together with a $1.4 trillion spending bill that will fund the government through September. Initially, the Senate’s presiding officer said the vote was 91-7, which was later corrected to 92-6.

The package passed the House earlier Monday evening in a 359-53 vote.

The 5,593-page package approves another round of direct checks of $600 per adult and $600 per child, adds $300 to weekly unemployment payments for 11 weeks and extends two other unemployment programs, supplies more than $300 billion in relief for small businesses, including a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program, and pours more than $50 billion into distributing coronavirus vaccines, as well as testing and tracing efforts.