It's not a stimulus package. It's a lifeline

As the nation’s businesses shutter and quarantining leaves millions without income, Congress has continued to kick the can down the road, with the House punting the $2 trillion coronavirus response bill agreed upon by the Senate and the White House for yet another day.

Despite everyone from the New York Times to sitting U.S. congressmen referring to the bill as “stimulus,” this is not what the bill is. Its effects on consumer and corporate demand are secondary. It is, most importantly, a lifeline to employers and employees — direct cash relief to make sure that individuals have homes and sustenance in the short-run and jobs to return to when the worst of this pandemic passes.