Watch on Washington – April 1, 2020

Congress Passes $2 Trillion COVID-19 Stimulus Bill

On Friday, March 27, President Trump signed into law a $2 trillion emergency bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The $2 trillion package is equal to almost half of the annual federal spending in a year and is the largest relief package Congress has ever passed. The bill will send a $1,200 check to many Americans, create a $377 billion loan program for small businesses and establish a $500 billion lending fund for businesses.

Additionally, the bill provides $150 billion in new, direct aid to states, territories, tribal and local governments by formula and based on population, to be distributed no later than 30 days after the date of enactment.

Coronavirus Impact on Voting and Elections

The CARES Act provides $400 million to the Election Assistance Commission, largely for contingency planning and expanding vote by mail and online voter registration initiatives. Additionally, some election officials are considering using their recently received election security grants, Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds, for virus-related election preparations. More to follow as this issue progresses.