Senate Democrats on Sept. 10 blocked a Republican bill that would have provided federal funding for pandemic relief.
The bill, introduced Sept. 8 by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), would provide more small-business loans, liability protections for businesses, added unemployment benefits of $300 per week, and funds to reopen schools. It would be worth about $500 billion, far less than the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act that was passed by the Democrat-controlled House in May.
