America vs COVID-19: Federal Government M.D.

Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and human countermeasures in detail is a hard task for those unwilling to fixate on the news at all hours. This Primary Spotlight covers just one dimension of the response to the virus but arguably the most critical going forward-the actions of the federal government of the United States. President Trump has just signed off on ‘The Families First Coronavirus Response Act’ which the House of Representatives passed last Friday and the Senate voted for last night. This note examines the components and costs of the legislation and in particular how the divided government and intra-party splits affected the nature of the package. The same type of analysis is then applied to the upcoming third stimulus bill, which is set to be an order of magnitude more costly and much more controversial in its elements. Beyond Congress, we also provide a timeline of Trump’s approach to the virus with the powers afforded him as head of the executive branch.