The Buzz | US Lawmakers close in on $7.5B measure to battle coronavirus

Lawmakers are finalizing a $7.5 billion emergency bill to fund the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, in a burst of bipartisan cooperation that’s atypical of today’s Washington.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, a caustic critic of President Donald Trump’s handling of the spreading crisis, said he’s expecting a bipartisan deal among lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations committees today (Macau time) in hopes of clearing the measure through Congress by week’s end.

The $7.5 billion package would triple Trump’s request but is expected to enjoy support from both the White House and Trump’s GOP allies on Capitol Hill.

“When it comes to Americans’ health and safety, there is no reason to be penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Schumer said.

Deliberations on the bill are a bipartisan bright spot as Congress seeks to rebound from the bitterness of Trump’s impeachment and involves the pragmatic lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations panels, which have a track record of bipartisan success despite the partisanship engulfing Washington.

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