What Is In Congress’ $2 T Coronavirus Stimulus Bills?

FEATURING DEAN BAKER – The US Senate has spent days wrangling over the details of a massive $2 trillion stimulus package to shore up the economy as the nation grinds to a halt to counter the spread of the coronavirus. Democrats are blaming Republicans for wanting to reward corporations through a $500 billion “slush fund” as they have called it,  while Republicans have accused Democrats of delaying tactics while nervous American workers await help from the government.

Less publicized has been the House version of a stimulus bill which includes bigger cash payouts to Americans, expanded paid sick leave requirements and even some sustainability conditions for the airline industry.

Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, which he also co-founded. He is the author of several books, including Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. His blog, “Beat the Press,” provides commentary on economic reporting. His analyses have appeared in many major publications, including the Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, the London Financial Times, and the New York Daily News.