Trump to seek $500 billion in direct payments to Americans

By DAN McCALEB
The Center Square

Saying that "in a sense" he is "a wartime president," President Donald Trump wants Congress to approve $500 billion in new spending to send money directly to American households reeling from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Details are still being worked out about how much each taxpayer would receive and who will be eligible, Trump said, but there's bipartisan support for the effort.

The payments, according to the New York Times, would be sent in two waves. The first would be April 6, the second on May 18. The amount of each payment would be dependent on each family's size and income.

The White House also wants Congress to approve $300 billion to help small businesses to pay their employees, $50 billion for airlines and $150 billion in loan guarantees to stabilize the economy.

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. and Canada will close their border to non-essential traffic to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.