The House prepared Thursday to pass a bipartisan $484 billion spending package as the unemployment crisis continued to deepen, a stark illustration of how policymakers continue trying to rescue an unraveling economy.
The legislation would restart a small-business loan program that was swamped by demand during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and allocate more money for healthcare providers and virus testing. The vote was historic, as many lawmakers wore masks on the House floor, some even speaking through face coverings as they delivered impassioned remarks.
Just hours earlier, the Labor Department announced that 4.4 million Americans sought unemployment benefits last week. More than 26 million people have now filed jobless claims since coronavirus knocked the U.S. economy off course last month, beginning an extraordinary economic tailspin.
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