1 Both Sides Cry Foul As Stimulus Package Fails In Senate
Legislation to help with the economic fallout of the coronavirus is going to have to wait another day. While Democratic leader Chuck Schumer insisted both sides were close to an agreement early yesterday – they clearly weren’t. Democrats blocked the measure from passing twice yesterday. The reason depends on your perspective. While Democrats continue to decry $500-million in ‘corporate bailouts,’ Republicans are pointing to “sneak ins” by the Dems, which include $35-million in funding they wanted for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well a so-called “green stimulus” plan that would spend millions on ‘green energy.’ Either way, President Trump is pushing lawmakers to get the bill done. During a White House briefing, Trump urged Republicans and Democrats to pass the Senate bill as written. He said Senators need to "get together" and stop with the "partisan politics,” adding Senators “don't have a choice but to make a deal.”
2 Trump Speaks At Coronavirus Task Force Briefing
President Trump has a message for Americans: we will get through the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic...and it’ll happen sooner than later. At a Task Force briefing, Trump thanked Americans for their sacrifice, arguing staying at home and following social distancing is "saving lives." As part of that, Trump said the Asian American community needs to be protected, adding the spreading of the illness is "not their fault." Meanwhile, the President is also taking action to prevent hoarding of essential supplies and protect against price gouging by signing an executive order. Anyone who hoards or price gouges on critical items will face serious legal trouble. Still Surgeon General Jerome Adams doesn’t want people to get complacent. Speaking on NBC’s “Today” show he warned: "This week, it's going to get bad." He added that’s because not enough people are heeding the warning to stay home. "Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now,” Adams offered. “So, test or no test, we need you to understand you could be spreading it to someone else. Or you could be getting it from someone else. Stay at home.”
3 San Antonio Residents Ordered Stay Home, Except For Essential Work, Errands
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff have announced a new executive order in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. The executive order calls for residents to stay home except for essential work and activities beginning Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m. The mayor says essential work includes health care, construction and manufacturing as well as communication and news media. Grocery stores will still be open along with restaurants able to offer carryout and delivery services. The executive order will run through April 9th. “As you know, and as we expected, the number of positive cases is growing. We need to take additional steps now to slow the spread. The actions I announced today can be summed up as short-term pain in exchange for long term benefit,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Mayor Nirenberg added, “If we do this right – and right away – we suffer fewer consequences in the long term, such as loss of family, friends or neighbors who may be particularly vulnerable right now. If we do this right – and right away – we also position our community to emerge from this crisis more quickly. We give our businesses and institutions an earlier opportunity to begin the recovery process. So, I’m asking every single one of us – every San Antonian, every Bexar County resident – to do our part to halt the spread of the virus. Stay Home and Work Safe.” “We are facing two major challenges—a public health challenge and an economic challenge. We must work to together to balance the need to protect the public from the spread of COVID-19 as to not overwhelm our hospital system while trying to preserve jobs and people’s livelihoods by ensuring as many of our citizens remain employed and able to provide for their families,” stated Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.“This is a step that your local government can do but we need each and every one of our citizens to do their part so that we will get through this with the least amount of disruption.”