House passes $2 trillion coronavirus aide package on voice vote

The House passed a bipartisan $2.2 trillion emergency economic relief package Friday, paving the way for an influx of funds to the besieged healthcare system and aid for workers and businesses reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

The measure, which includes direct payments of $1,200 for most Americans, now heads to the White House for President Trump’s signature at 4 p.m.

“I thank all members on both sides of the aisle for the seriousness with which we have all taken this important challenge,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the final vote.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, called the package “our modern-day all-American Marshall plan.”

“We have never experienced that before in our lives, not even in the great depression,” Mr. McCarthy said.

Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, who managed the Republicans’ debate, called the pandemic “the crisis of a lifetime.”

There have been about 95,000 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the U.S. and 1,475 deaths as of Friday afternoon.

Lawmakers approved the biggest rescue plan in history on a voice vote, but not before Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who objected to the cost of the bill and the hasty process for approving it, created some last-minute drama.

Mr. Massie tried to force a recorded vote, prompting many lawmakers from both parties to rush back to Washington overnight from across the country to ensure that a quorum of at least 216 would be present to defeat his move.

Party leaders had wanted to avoid the need for lawmakers to travel great distances and crowd into the House chamber, to limit the health risks from the coronavirus.

As the moment for a final vote neared, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged more lawmakers to come from their offices and take seats in the public gallery, rather than on the floor, to allow enough spacing between members.

“Come on my colleagues, to the gallery,” she said.

When enough lawmakers were seated, a voice vote was held, and Mr. Massie stood to object.

“I came here to make sure our republic doesn’t die by unanimous consent in an empty chamber, and I request a recorded vote,” Mr. Massie said.

When not enough lawmakers agreed to his request, Mr. Massie objected that a quorum wasn’t present. He was overruled again.

The motion was declared adopted, and the chamber erupted with cheers and applause.

Mr. Massie accused congressional leadership of orchestrating a “fix,” complaining that he was denied time to speak on the bill.

“It’s pretty clear now, with enough members here to pass the bill, that Pelosi and McCarthy are still working together to block a recorded vote just to insulate members of Congress from ACCOUNTABILITY,” he tweeted. “Biggest spending bill in the history of mankind, and no recorded vote?”

The bill will give direct payments of about $3,400 to the average family of four, bolster unemployment insurance with a surge of $250 billion, provide $500 billion in loans to big businesses, and create a $350 billion loan and grant program for small businesses.

It also funnels $130 billion into the stretched-thin healthcare system to get more resources and equipment to those directly fighting the disease.

The package passed one day after jobless claimed skyrocketed to a record 3.28 million in the past week, as businesses cut back as they shutter for public health concerns.

While the Senate passed the package with unanimous support, some Republican members opposed the bill because of their concern about the hefty price tag and how the funds are being appropriated.

“This stimulus should go straight to the people rather than being funneled through banks and corporations like this bill is doing,” Mr. Massie said in a tweet.

Mr. Trump said he would sign the bill into law as soon as possible after it cleared the House.

Some Republicans, such as Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, joined Mr. Massie in opposition to the package.

Although Mr. Buck applauded the president’s efforts to help struggling businesses and families, he said, “we can’t do so at the expense of our children and our grandchildren’s future.”

“The truth is this bill will spend $6 trillion, not $2 trillion,” Mr. Buck said in reference to additional lending authority and other relief efforts by the Federal Reserve. “There is no attempt by Congress to reduce spending elsewhere in the budget to pay for this bill. The sad truth is that most of this money in this bill is unrelated to fighting the coronavirus. We believe that the fight against the virus will take six to eight weeks, yet this bill spends money decades into the future.”

While there is a clear need to help, he said, “This bill is not the answer.”