2020-04-21nbcnews.com

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that lawmakers had reached a deal with the White House on a nearly $500 billion interim coronavirus bill that includes additional funds for the small business loan program as well as more money for hospitals and testing.

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Schumer said the interim proposal included $75 billion for hospitals but not additional funding for states as Democrats have sought. It is also expected to include more than $300 billion in additional money for the Paycheck Protection Program, which was created by the stimulus legislation passed late last month.

Schumer's office said the proposal additionally would allocate $120 billion for "unbanked" communities, which would include $60 billion for small businesses in rural and minority areas that might have had trouble accessing the the Paycheck Protection Program, and $60 billion for the Small Business Administration's Disaster Relief Loan Program.

Schumer also said that the proposal includes a "national strategy" for testing and contact tracing, which Democrats say is critical to reopening the country. But it is unclear what that would look like, as the White House has publicly insisted that testing be left up to the states. Congressional Republicans have been pushing for a more significant role for private industry in the testing solutions.

President Donald Trump appeared to voice approval of the deal Tuesday afternoon, tweeting "I urge the Senate and House to pass the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act with additional funding for PPP, Hospitals, and Testing" and indicating he would sign the bill.



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