Michael R. Strain & Glenn Hubbard, Columnists

Small Business Alone Needs $1 Trillion Now

The GOP stimulus plan has good ideas for covering service-industry payrolls amid the coronavirus shutdown, but doesn’t set aside enough to pay for it.

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Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
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Restaurants and shops are closed across the U.S. to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Federal government has started to address the resulting economic pain with an emergency declaration by President Donald Trump releasing $50 billion for public-health measures and congressional passage of a multi-billion dollar relief bill providing some paid sick leave and extended unemployment benefits, among other assistance.

Fortunately, the U.S. Senate stepped up on Thursday to do more.