Senate Democrats on Sunday night followed Rahm Emanuel’s famous advice to never let a crisis go to waste. They filibustered a bill that had been negotiated by senators of both parties to provide relief for tens of millions of people whose livelihoods are in jeopardy and whose small businesses are failing.

The most important aspect of any legislative response to the coronavirus crisis is to help businesses maintain their payrolls. Employers are making the decision to lay off their staffs every day, and the longer Washington hesitates in its response, the deeper the economic effect of the virus will be.