Washington (dpa) - According to a leading senator, the huge US stimulus package is to be increased by another $ 200 to $ 250 billion.
The loan amount of around $ 350 billion earmarked for small and medium-sized companies must be increased rapidly due to high demand, said Senator Marco Rubio. The loans can be canceled after a certain time if certain conditions are met. This should keep as many jobs as possible in the companies.
Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he wanted to work with the Democrats to get the increase up and running as quickly as possible. He hoped it would be possible to say goodbye on Thursday. Then the House of Representatives would have to agree.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and President Donald Trump have already signaled that they are ready to ask Parliament for additional funds if the initial $ 2.2 trillion stimulus package is insufficient.
In the United States, there were around 380,000 known infections with the novel pathogen Sars-CoV-2 by Tuesday noon. More than 11,000 people have died as a result of the Covid-19 virus-related lung disease, data from Johns Hopkins University showed. Initial applications for unemployment benefits have skyrocketed since mid-March, and the economy is descending.
