| After days of partisan wrangling and under Wall Street pressure to move with all deliberate speed, the Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed the largest economic rescue measure in American history, promising tens of millions of families and workers, and thousands of large and small businesses a hand up from the federal government to try to survive the coronavirus crisis. The $2.2 trillion package of assistance now heads to the House, where passage is expected. President Trump vowed on Wednesday to sign the measure “immediately,” and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the first federal checks to qualifying Americans could be sent out within three weeks. Banks should be prepared to originate loans by next week, once the law is enacted, he added. Senators voted 96-0 on a mammoth, 883-page measure that few, if any, lawmakers read in its entirety. Among its provisions are direct tax rebates and four months of expanded unemployment benefits for workers who are losing jobs as the U.S. economy brakes from coast to coast (The Hill). On the sensitive unemployment benefits issue, a Senate amendment proposing to be less generous failed on a 48 to 48 vote (The Hill). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hailed the result, which passed with no opposition months after the evident rancor of impeachment and acquittal of the president. “We pivoted from impeachment to 100-0 on this rescue package, and this was about as flawless as you could possibly be,” he told reporters. “I think one of the reasons that happened is we’re inspired by what’s going on around the country,” he added. “People are helping each other, reaching out, looking for ways to make a difference, following the directions of the healthcare professionals, This is a proud moment of the United States Senate and for the country, and we’re going to win this battle in the very near future.” The Washington Post: Senate passes $2 trillion bill to blunt coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact, as households and businesses gasp for relief. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier in the evening defended offering $600 per worker, per week, in unemployment insurance in addition to state benefits if an individual is furloughed because of the coronavirus. She rejected some conservatives’ initial concerns that the benefit would incentivize low-wage workers to walk off the job and not work. “You can’t just quit and say, ‘I’m going on unemployment,’” Pelosi told Judy Woodruff during an interview on PBS’s NewsHour. The speaker said the one-size-fits-all strategy was best, given the complexity of tailoring this kind of relief to different states, which was an argument Mnuchin also made on Wednesday. The Senate package — the third and definitely not the last in an unprecedented series of bills responding to the coronavirus contagion since its emergence in December — includes hundreds of billions of dollars in federal help for corporations, more than $350 billion for small businesses and new funding for many major hospitals that believe they are on the brink of being overwhelmed by patients sickened by COVID-19. Indeed, New York City on Wednesday night reported 280 deaths among 20,011 confirmed cases of the virus. At least 3,750 people are hospitalized with the respiratory disease and 840 are receiving intensive care in the city (The New York Times). The state as a whole has 30,811 confirmed cases, a spike of 5,000 since Tuesday, a sign of expanded testing, and in one hospital, an “apocalyptic surge” (The New York Times). Nationwide this morning, there have been at least 69,197 confirmed cases as testing ramps up, along with at least 1,046 fatalities attributed to COVID-19. The Senate’s legislation offers help to hospitals and payouts to 150 million households, along with bailouts to distressed corporations and industries. It includes $1,200 checks for most individuals and potentially more later, deployed to inject billions of dollars into the teetering U.S. economy beginning next month. The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda reports on what families may want to know about the cash payments. The Senate legislation underwrites hundreds of billions of dollars in loans as federal incentives to avert massive layoffs. As The Hill’s Niv Elis writes, small and medium businesses with fewer than 500 workers will be able to apply for government-backed, forgivable loans to cover the costs of their workers’ wages, as well as some other business expenses such as rent, up to a maximum of $10 million. If companies lay off workers, however, parts of the loan will not be forgiven. “We have never done anything like this before,” said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), a conservative who would in other circumstances be opposed to a more than $2 trillion spending bill. “The idea is to encourage these companies to keep workers on the payroll.” The Hill: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) expects to pass coronavirus bill on Friday. The Hill’s Jordain Carney takes a look at seven key things to know about the legislation, including the cash payments coming to many Americans, unemployment insurance, how it will bolster the healthcare system, and its effect on student loans payments. READ the text of the legislation HERE. The Associated Press: Highlights of Congress’s relief plan. There will be many accounts of winners and losers in the bill, but it’s already clear that Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) believes her city got the short end of the stick when lawmakers decided to treat the nation’s capital like a U.S. territory rather than like a state. The difference in available funding in a city with more than 230 COVID-19 infections and three deaths from the virus is substantial, and Bowser wants lawmakers to fix the problem in future legislation (The Washington Post). Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that the “odds are high” that lawmakers will need to work on a fourth coronavirus package (Politico). The Washington Post analysis: The stimulus bill cannot prevent a recession, and it’s unclear if it can stave off a depression. Jim Tankersley, The New York Times: A $2 trillion lifeline will help, but more may be needed. The Hill: Coronavirus package punts on environmental fights. The Hill: Mass transit systems desperate for financial relief as riders stay home. The Hill: McConnell said senators will be in recess until their next vote scheduled on April 20. The Hill: 13 things to know about the coronavirus (a news roundup). Trump's urgent April timeline to reopen the economy, which has added drama to a decision he could announce by Monday, has ignited a clash with governors and mayors who are expanding their own stay-at-home orders and school closures and pleading with citizens to maintain social distancing. While the president has clear authority to rescind or alter federal health guidelines, it's not clear local officials must follow them if they believe their states or municipalities are at risk (The Hill). On Wednesday, Trump continued to seek credit from the public for steps he has taken to try to contain and then mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “It’s hard not to be happy with the job we are doing, that I can tell you,” he said at the White House. As Niall Stanage writes, the president’s allies are wary of his impatience to restart the economy and get back to work, even in states where confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been scarce to date. As Trump earns high marks in some polls for his handling of the crisis, some supporters believe misjudgment and a precipitous push to resume travel, work and commerce could be hugely damaging to Americans and toxic for the president’s bid for a second term. Former Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.): Congress is not immune to this crisis. More news in Congress: Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) has a respiratory illness and is self-quarantining along with his wife, Liz, but is not seeking to be tested for COVID-19 because he says his symptoms are minor. … Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass..) are awaiting coronavirus test results (The Washington Post). … Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate leadership, left Washington on Wednesday before the final vote on the stimulus bill because he felt unwell and wants to consult with his physician in Sioux Falls, his spokesman said. 
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