Members of the Coronavirus Task Force, charged with leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, are holding a briefing Thursday at 5 p.m. At Wednesday’s briefing, President Trump said he doesn’t want to give a date for reopening the economy, even as he expresses a desire for that to happen as soon as possible.
More than 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in March, and that number is expected to rise when the Department of Labor announces jobless claims Thursday morning. To provide a lifeline to families and businesses ailing because of the coronavirus outbreak, Congress last month passed a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill, and congressional Democrats have started crafting a fourth legislative package.
How to watch the Coronavirus Task Force briefing today
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to ask for unanimous consent Thursday morning to pass additional emergency funding for small businesses through the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, a key pillar of the $2.2 trillion package that aims to ensure workers are not laid off.
But Democrats have countered with their own list of demands beyond the $250 billion for businesses, including more money for hospitals, state and local governments and food assistance, setting up a potential showdown between lawmakers as they rush to alleviate the pain for Americans.
