News Mississippi
Senate passes $484 billion relief package
By J.T. Mitchell
This afternoon, the United States Senate passed a $484 billion coronavirus-relief package that will go towards small businesses, hospitals, and test expansion.
Of the $484 billion, $310 billion will be used for keeping employees on small company payrolls. The bill will also allocate $60 billion to small lenders, $75 billion to hospital relief, and $25 billion to COVID-19 test expansion.
Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker, the two United States Senators representing Mississippi, are both in full support of the recently passed bill.
“The Paycheck Protection Program has provided a financial lifeline to thousands of Mississippi small businesses and their employees, but many more still need help,” Wicker said. “New funding for this program means that more workers will stay off unemployment rolls and keep getting paid.”
While Wicker focused on the paying of employees in his official statement, Hyde-Smith highlighted that the bill is working towards the reopening of the American economy.
“The ongoing needs and hardships spread across the health care system and our economy are obvious,” Hyde-Smith said. “This legislation is intended to help as we move toward a safe reopening of more day-to-day commerce across the nation.”
Now that the bill has been unanimously passed by the Senate, the House of Representatives will look to approve it on Thursday.