Stimulus bill: Coronavirus relief package covers unemployment, small business, industries

$600 additional unemployment benefits

WLS logo
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Senate passes $2.2 trillion economic rescue package in response to coronavirus pandemic
The Senate late Wednesday passed an unparalleled $2.2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Senate unanimously voted on the stimulus bill that will help Americans as efforts to slow the spread of the virus are choking the economy. The $2 trillion coronavirus relief package is the biggest in American history.



Here is a breakdown of who gets money and how much:



Individuals and families


The bill would provide one-time direct payments to Americans of $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year, and $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child.



As income rises, the payment would scale down. It phases out entirely at $99,000 for singles and $198,000 for couples without children. This means 99% of Americans would receive some sort of funding, ABC News reports.



Furloughed workers would get whatever amount a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a $600 per week add-on, with gig workers like Uber drivers covered for the first time.



In total, unemployed workers are eligible to receive up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits.





Small businesses


The bill covers a $367 billion program for small businesses affected by the crisis. The loans would be available during an emergency period through June.



Larger industries



The bill allocates $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans for larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well.



This includes an "employee retention" tax credit that's estimated to provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50% of workers' paychecks. Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax.



Schumer said businesses controlled by members of Congress and top administration officials - including Trump and his immediate family members - would be ineligible for the bill's business assistance.



Here's a full list of highlights from the Associated Press:



- Loans and guarantees to businesses, state and local governments: $500 billion. Includes up to $50 billion for passenger airlines, $8 billion for cargo carriers, $17 billion for "businesses critical to maintaining national security." Companies accepting loans may not repurchase outstanding stock; must maintain their employment levels as of March 13, 2020 "to the extent practicable"; and bar raises for two years to executives earning over $425,000 annually.



- Small businesses: Includes $350 billion. For companies with 500 employees or fewer, loans that may be forgiven if company retains workers; $17 billion to help small businesses repay existing loans; $10 billion for grants up to $10,000 for small businesses to pay operating costs.



- Emergency unemployment insurance: $260 billion. Includes extra weeks of coverage for people who have exhausted existing benefits. Also covers part-time, self-employed, gig economy workers. Weekly benefit increase of up to $600.



- Health care: $150 billion. Includes $100 billion for grants to hospitals, public and nonprofit health organizations and Medicare and Medicaid suppliers.



- Aid to state and local governments: $150 billion.



- Direct payments to people: $1,200 per adult, $2,400 per couple, $500 per child. Amounts begin phasing out at $75,000 for individuals, $150,000 per couple.



- Department of Homeland Security: $45 billion for a disaster relief fund to reimburse state and local governments for medical response, community services, other safety measures. Extends federal deadline for people getting driver's licenses with enhanced security features, called REAL ID, from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.



- Education: $31 billion. Includes $13.5 billion for states to distribute to local schools and programs, $14 billion to help universities and colleges.



- Coronavirus treatments: $27 billion for research and development of vaccines and treatments, stockpiling medical supplies.



- Transportation: Includes $25 billion for public transit systems; $10 billion for publicly owned commercial airports, intended to sustain 430,000 transit jobs; $1 billion for Amtrak.



- Veterans: $20 billion, including $16 billion for treating veterans at VA facilities; $3 billion for temporary and mobile facilities.



- Food and agriculture: $15.5 billion for food stamps; $14 billion for supporting farm income and crop prices; $9.5 billion for specific producers including specialty crops, dairy and livestock; $8.8 billion child nutrition. Money for food banks, farmers' markets.



- Defense: $10.5 billion for Defense Department, including $1.5 billion to nearly triple the 4,300 beds currently in military hospitals; $1.4 billion for states to deploy up to 20,000 members of National Guard for six months; $1 billion under Defense Production Act to help private industry boost production of medical gear. Money cannot be used to build President Donald Trump's proposed wall along Mexican border.



- Social programs: Includes $3.5 billion in grants for child care and early education programs; $1 billion in grants to help communities address local economic problems; $900 million in heating, cooling aid for low-income families; $750 million for extra staffing for Head Start programs.



- Economic aid to communities: $5 billion in Community Development Block Grants to help state and local governments expand health facilities, child care centers, food banks and senior services; $4 billion in assistance for homeless people; $3 billion for low-income renters; $1.5 billion to help communities rebuild local industries including tourism, industry supply chains, business loans; $300 million for fishing industry.



- Native American communities: $2 billion for health care, equipment schools and other needs.



- Diplomacy: $1.1 billion, including $324 million to evacuate Americans and diplomats overseas; $350 million to help refugees; $258 million in international disaster aid; $88 million for the Peace Corps to evacuate its volunteers abroad.



- Elections: $400 million to help states prepare for 2020 elections with steps including expanded vote by mail, additional polling locations.



- Arts: $150 million for federal grants to state and local arts and humanities programs; $75 million for Corporation for Public Broadcasting; $25 million for Washington, D.C., Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.



- Congress: $93 million, including $25 million for the House and $10 million for the smaller Senate for teleworking and other costs; $25 million for cleaning the Capitol and congressional office buildings.



RELATED: How is coronavirus spread? Symptoms, prevention, and how to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak



The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.