President Donald Trump departs after a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Washington, with Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma and Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
March 18, 2020
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Trump taps emergency powers as virus relief plan proceeds
WASHINGTON (AP) — Describing himself as a “wartime president” fighting an invisible enemy, President Donald Trump on Wednesday invoked rarely used emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also signed an aid package — which the Senate approved earlier Wednesday — that will guarantee sick leave to workers who fall ill.