Maxine Waters has announced that her sister is dying from coronavirus in a hospital in St Louis, Missouri.

On the floor of the House on Thursday, the California Democrat and chair of the House Financial Services committee dedicated a $484bn funding package to her "dear sister" who is on her deathbed and "infected by the coronavirus".

Ms Waters was addressing the Paycheck Protection Program and pending Health Care Enhancement Act, which is scheduled to clear the House on Thursday. Donald Trump also supports the bill, which would provide roughly $370bn for small business loans and $100bn for hospitals and Covid-19 testing capacity.

The nearly $500bn relief package follows a near-stalemate in the Senate over two weeks. The legislation funds the recently depleted Paycheck Protection Program after it nearly ran out of a first round of roughly $350bn last week. The program finances loans to small businesses that can be forgiven up to 100 per cent if employers use the money to maintain certain payroll thresholds. Lawmakers have scrambled to replenish the funds while Democrats and Republicans have blamed either party for delays in its passage.

Ms Waters said: "Small businesses and their workers all across the country are in dire need of assistance and will benefit from this bill."

This round of funding does not include a second round of $1,200 direct payments to Americans.

She added that Congress also must "do much more for renters, homeowners, people experiencing homelessness and mom-and-pop landlords" and said that she is drafting a $100bn rental assistance fund and an additional homeowner assistance fund for people whose incomes are impacted by the pandemic.



Mr Trump and lawmakers have announced their intention to draft more relief legislation for employers and state and local governments, while progressives have fought for monthly $2,000 direct payments to Americans and expanded food stamp benefits as the nation faces unprecedented unemployment.