House, Senate Vote to Approve $900 Billion Covid-19 Relief Package

Congress has officially passed the $900 billion Covid-19 relief bill after months of divisive negotiations. In a 359 to 53 vote, the House overwhelmingly approved the rescue package late last night. This was followed by a 92 to 6 Senate vote also in favor. The bill was attached to a must-pass $1.4 trillion spending bill. This brings its total cost to $2.3 trillion and marks it as the second-largest economic stimulus package to pass in U.S. history. It will now be brought before President Trump, but given the bill’s size it may be a few days before he can give his official signature. That’s why the Senate also passed an additional seven-day stopgap spending bill that would ensure enough time to finalize the over 5,500 page-long package. It’s almost certain to go through and in that case, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says Americans can expect to see their direct stimulus payments by as early as next week. While this round of checks is very similar compared to the first, the monetary relief will come much quicker than the last time. Many are excited about the latest agreement, but there are still those who say it’s not enough.