“Are you kidding me?” Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, demanded on the Senate floor. They also argue the measure would give Mr. Mnuchin too much discretion to decide which companies receive the funds, calling the proposal a “slush fund” for the administration. As the legislation is currently written, Mr. Mnuchin would not have to disclose the recipients until six months after the loans were disbursed. Some Democrats also objected to loopholes in the legislation they said could allow Mr. Trump’s real estate empire to take advantage of the federal aid. The extraordinary scene on Monday unfolded the after Democrats blocked action on Sunday on the measure, which is emerging as the largest economic stimulus measure in modern history.

Source: New York Times March 23, 2020 04:04 UTC