Trump signs $8.3B emergency coronavirus package

President Donald Trump today signed the $8.3 billion emergency funding package Congress swiftly cleared, triggering the flow of cash to federal agencies and states working to combat a rising number of coronavirus cases in the U.S.

The bill provides a total of $7.7 billion in new discretionary spending and authorizes an additional $490 million in mandatory spending through a Medicare change.

The legislation will bolster vaccine development, research and equipment stockpiles, as well as boost state and local health budgets, as government officials and health workers fight to contain the outbreak. More than $400 million will be disbursed to states within the first 30 days of the bill’s enactment, with each state receiving no less than $4 million.

The bipartisan measure came together with remarkable speed, despite a few policy disputes delaying the initial release of the text. The House passed the bill hours after it was introduced Wednesday, and the Senate cleared it less than 24 hours later.