U.S House of Representatives passed a bill worth $8.3 billion for Emergency Funding

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The U.S House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill worth $8.3 billion for emergency funding to fight the coronavirus with overwhelming support from both parties. The 415-2 vote was passed by the House just hours after members of both chambers struck a deal agreeing the emergency funding. The bill must now pass the Senate before President Donald Trump can sign it. U.S Senate leader Mitch McConnell informed reporters that their objective was to get legislation done this week. It could come up for a vote as early as Thursday. The Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby in a press release and said the legislators had come to an agreement.

Richard Shelby added, “This should not be about politics; this is about doing our job to protect the American people from a potential pandemic”. NBC News reports that Trump administration had initially only asked for $2.5 billion, while the agreed package provides $7.8b billion for government agencies directly confronting the virus, and authorizes approximately $500 million over a 10-year period to be used towards a remote healthcare program. The U.S Health officials have been calling for quick action to counter the spread of the virus, which has now killed 11 Americans. The rapid discussions recognized the urgency of the situation.

Shelby said, “We worked together to craft an aggressive and comprehensive response that provides the resources the experts say they need to combat this crisis. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation and appreciate President Trump’s eagerness to sign this legislation and get the funding out the door without delay”. The president has said that he would spend whatever is appropriate to combat the spread of the virus. U.S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed the agreement for allowing U.S Congress to deliver the coordinated response needed to keep Americans safe. A House Democratic aide informed CNBC that the proposal includes more than $3 billion dedicated to the research and development of vaccines.