Trump pushes Congress for new coronavirus spending as Senate mulls second emergency bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) walks into the Senate Chamber, as Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a State of Emergency due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Than U.S. President Donald Trump's administration pushed lawmakers to send money directly to Americans to counter the economic toll of the coronavirus outbreak, as the Senate weighed a multibillion-dollar emergency bill passed by the House of Representatives.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was poised to meet with Senate Republicans to discuss a plan to send checks to Americans affected by the crisis, and Trump told reporters the payments could amount to $1,000.