by newsmax.com — President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency in order to free up more money and resources. But he denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available for the new virus, whose spread has roiled markets and disrupted the lives of everyday Americans. Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency,” unleashing as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak. Trump also announced a range of executive actions, including a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. Trump said, “I don’t take responsibility at all” for the slow rollout of testing.
Late Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal with the Trump administration for an aid package from Congress that would provide free tests, sick pay for workers and bolster food programs. “We are proud to have reached an agreement with the Administration to resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi announced in a letter to colleagues. The House was poised to vote. However, as of 8:30 p.m. ET the vote had not yet occurred. According to a Reuters news alert, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said there were unresolved issues between the administration and lawmakers on the response bill, though Pelosi had thought there was a deal at hand. A few minutes later, though, another alert from Reuters said Trump had indicated he was fully supportive of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, “which will be voted on in the House this evening.” No further details were available at the time of publication.