GOP coronavirus package will provide new stimulus checks and $105B to open schools

Senate Republicans are crafting a new coronavirus aid package that will provide more than $100 billion to open schools, new aid for small businesses, and another round of direct payments to individuals and families, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.

The Kentucky Republican outlined in a Senate floor speech the GOP’s plans to fund treatment, testing, and a vaccine for the coronavirus, contradicting a push by some Trump administration officials to hold back on new funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If we lose control of the virus or if research stalls, then everything else will be window dressing," McConnell said. “Our proposal will dedicate even more resources to the fastest race for a new vaccine in human history, along with diagnostics and treatments.”

The Senate GOP is expected to unveil elements of its aid package this week, including a $105 billion boost for schools.