House passes historic $2 trillion coronavirus economic rescue bill
Taylor Hatmaker
March 27, 2020
A massive bipartisan effort to provide relief to a U.S. economy on ice just leapt over its last major hurdle. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a historic stimulus package known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security or "CARES" act, which contains an unprecedented $2.2 trillion in total financial relief for businesses, public institutions and individuals hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill passed the House today after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) took the unpopular step of blocking a voice vote that House members could conduct remotely. House lawmakers quickly returned to Washington to appear in person Friday, where they spread out in the galleries above the House floor for safety. The bill passed with a quorum of more than 216 members of the House present.
"The aid must be robust, rapid and resilient, just like its recipients," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said during proceedings Friday. "We are going to help Americans through this. We are going to do it together."
"Whatever concerns we may have and whatever we want to do next, right now we're going to pass this legislation," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in her speech on the floor.
To get to a place of fast bipartisan consensus, the bill, shepherded by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, came together through addition rather than subtraction. The result is a sprawling 880-page piece of legislation stuffed with concessions for members of both parties — but one that can provide for Americans quickly. Here are some of the key relief measures targeted toward small businesses, big industry players and a gutted American workforce reeling from job losses.