US coronavirus live: Pelosi urges Trump to 'immediately' speed up medical supplies production

House speaker calls on president to use the powers of the Defense Production ActCuomo warns coronavirus could overwhelm New York healthcareCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSupport the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 1.55pm GMT Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin lashed out against the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board after the newspaper published a stinging editorial about the White House’s stimulus proposals.It would be nice if @WSJ editors asked us to explain our plans before they wrote editorials. @federalreserve has worked at incredible speed to announce 3 new 13(3) programs. Our 200 billion ESF request to Congress will support more. Now is the time for us to come together! Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s proposal that he sent to Senate Republicans includes $50 billion for the airlines, plus another $150 billion in loans to other affected businesses. This is too little, too cumbersome, and too political. Wait until Congress attaches strings to that cash, and wait until the bureaucrats get around to doling it out. The airlines may get rescued, perhaps with price and route controls attached, but they won’t have many passengers if a million Americans a month lose their jobs.The same goes for another $300 billion for a new small-business loan program to be administered through private lenders, though it isn’t clear what rules would apply or how long this would take to set up. If it’s anything like the Small Business Administration, prepare for a long wait. 1.32pm GMT Another member of Congress is self-quarantining after interacting with a colleague who has since tested positive for coronavirus.Congressman Joe Cunningham of South Carolina said he would self-quarantine until next Friday after consulting with a doctor. This morning, I received word that I had been in contact with a member of Congress who has since tested positive for COVID-19. After consulting with the Attending Physician of the US Congress – and out of an abundance of caution – I will be self-quarantining until March 27, 2020. Continue reading…
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