US Senators Threaten To Block Emergency $2Tln Coronavirus Rescue Bill

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2020) US Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday threatened to block the $2 trillion emergency coronavirus response bill unless Republican senators remove their objections to some Democratic additions, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

"Unless Republican Senators drop their objections to the coronavirus legislation, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill until stronger conditions are imposed on the $500 billion corporate welfare fund," Sanders said in a Twitter message.

A small group of Republican senators earlier in the day threatened to hold up the bill because they consider the unemployment benefits too generous.

Senators Tim Scott, Lindsey Graham and Ben Sasse said in a joint statement earlier said the bill offers a "strong incentive for employees to be laid off instead of going to work."

As of Wednesday, Johns Hopkins University reported that there are 60,155 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 827 deaths related to the disease in the United States.