Nancy Pelosi just stepped up to bat

| 10:00 am EDT March 12, 2020
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Donald Trump gave a woefully inadequate and bafflingly lifeless Oval Office address last night about the coronavirus crisis, leaving everyone scratching their heads about what we’re supposed to do next. We clearly don’t have a President. Fortunately, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi just stepped up to bat, with the intention of leading us through this.

Last night Nancy Pelosi rolled out something called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Here are the key points she’s emphasizing in her legislation:

-Free coronavirus testing for everyone who needs a test
-Paid emergency leave for workers
-Enhanced unemployment insurance
-Strengthened food security initiatives
-Clear protections for frontline workers
-Increased federal funds for Medicaid

To be clear, the Republican Senate doesn’t want to have to pass this legislation, and Donald Trump doesn’t want to have to sign it, because it benefits working class people instead of funneling even more money to the GOP’s wealthy cronies. But with Trump having forfeited most of his limited remaining leverage on the matter last night, Pelosi has a real shot at using overwhelming public pressure to force Trump and the GOP to pass something along these lines into law.