Kudlow Says Economic Rescue Will Amount to $6 Trillion

The coronavirus economic rescue package expected to be approved by lawmakers shortly will amount to $6 trillion, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Tuesday evening.

Kudlow’s figure includes $4 billion in asset purchases by the Federal Reserve and $2 trillion in spending authorized by Congress.

The actual amount marshalled to rescue the economy from the widespread business shutdown and collapse of consumer spending could be even higher because the Fed has said it will spend unlimited amounts to buy Treasuries and other securities to support the economy.

Kudlow said the package Congress is close to passing will be “the single largest Main Street assistance program in the history of the United States.”

Funds appropriated by Congress will likely be funded by borrowing by the U.S. Treasury, as no offsetting spending cuts or tax hikes are being considered. The Fed’s programs will be funded out of newly created money that is offset by the Fed purchases, which remove financial assets from the private sector in amounts equal to the new dollars.