Making progress against COVID-19.
President Trump said America continues to gain ground in the fight against the coronavirus. We want to get back to normal as quickly as possible, and some areas of the country could be ready to do that sooner than others.
He outlined the number of states who have received disaster declarations from the president’s desk.
He said that New York still has a number of “very tough weeks” ahead of them. Governor Cuomo feels the Defense Production act is being used appropriately. General Motors, Ford, 3M, and others are involved in making all kinds of different products. We give product away as fast as we can. We are also building hospitals and medical centers throughout parts of New York.
Our teams are working very well with state representatives. Some very large testings are being done across the country. Testing grows exponentially on a daily basis.
He congratulated Japan, the IOC and Prime Minister Abe for delaying the Olympics for a year.
He said the emergency relief bill is close to passing. The $2.2 trillion legislative package is bigger than anything ever passed in Congress. During the FDR New Deal days, that if it is time-valued, could come near, but this is by far the biggest. A lot of the money goes to “jobs, jobs, jobs and families, families. We love our families,” he said. He outlined some of the provisions of the bill that will allow the economy to swiftly accelerate once the virus is defeated. Businesses must keep paying their workers, and this legislation will enable them to do that.
Independent contractors and self-employed persons will be eligible for the unemployment four-months of compensation. “We must keep paying our workers” on every level, he said. It is not about executive compensation, but about the workers.
Our stockpile of medical equipment was very depleted and we are working to get that reestablished. The whole world is trying to get this same equipment, and there are over 150 countries to have this virus now. We are learning a lot, information that will benefit us in the future.
He encouraged the House to pass the legislation and send it to his desk without delay.
He spoke to many non-profit organization leaders earlier today, thanking them for their unwavering devotion to the people of America. He outlived many of the activities the non-profits are doing.
He said ovet the last day 4,000 ventilators have been sent to New York, making Mayor DeBlasio and Governor Cuomo very happy. More are on the way.
He thanked the talented members of the task force, and related a number of anecdotes of Americans stepping up to help their fellow citizens. Volunteers have been fantastic and inspiring. We all have a role to play, he said.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reported on the work being done in the Senate, thanking both the Majority and Minority Leaders. We are very pleased with the unprecedented response of this group.
Small business retention loans will cover roughly 50 percent of private payrolls for about eight weeks of salaries and overhead. The loans will be forgiven at the end of the period as long as they adhere to employment guidelines. Economic impact payments will be made directly into most people’s deposit accounts within the next three weeks. We will be supporting American business and American workers in an unprecedented way.
Asked about the duration of the legislation, the president told a reporter that this three months should cover very much, but if we need to go back, we’ll go back.
There were other questions with answers from the president and members of the task force that followed the briefing.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For each of the members of the coronavirus task force working in their own fields of expertise, all in a mutual fight against the coronavirus.
- For members of Congress to pass the stimulus bill and get it to the president’s desk.
Sources: Fox News, WhiteHouse.gov
