Record-Breaking Stimulus Set to Grow Further: BGOV Closer Look

The $2.4 trillion price tag of legislation enacted so far in response to the coronavirus pandemic is more than double the cost of laws passed to address the Great Recession of 2007-09.

Congress responded to the pandemic with four laws that borrowed some of the playbook from previous crises. The largest of the aid packages, the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136; see BGOV Bill Summary), was estimated to increase the federal deficit by close to $2 trillion.

As lawmakers debate the contents of — and need for— an additional response bill, some Republicans say they’re concerned about ...