The House passed sweeping legislation Saturday to respond to the coronavirus outbreak battering the nation, an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote to expand access to free testing, provide $1 billion in food aid and extend sick leave benefits to vulnerable Americans.
The bill's bipartisan passage, 363-40, was virtually assured when President Donald Trump backed the measure - largely hammered out by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin - and urged Republicans to support the bill.
Trump's tweet, just before 9 p.m., capped several days of whiplash as Democrats and the White House appeared, at times, inches from a deal only to see it yanked away amid technical disputes and inconsistent signals from the president. Trump's backing, though, was essential to ensure support from congressional Republicans for the multi-billion dollar plan.
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